You will be Loved, Pretty Girl
by The Ladies Man
Summary: Tenten is in a depression, and Hinata is worried. Hinata then comes up with a plan to make Tenten feel good about herself, and Kiba is the solution... KibaTen with NejiTen KibaHina
1. Tenten's Depression

**And…we start a new story! Much earlier than expected! I'm excited!**

**Let me quickly explain the title. If you've ever heard of the songs "She will be loved" by Maroon 5 and "Pretty Girl" by Sugarcult, they will play into the future of this story. Just wanted to say that quickly.  
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**So…I'm just gonna go along with this. Enjoy this new story, Review, and make yourself comfortable, because I have this whole story planned out (much better than TDDDKTM(Abbreviation FTW)) and it's going to take a while. I plan on updating at a regular speed, unless I tell you guys other wise or something happens or whatever.**

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING MENTIONED IN THIS FIC! Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto…no one else. We clear, here? I write fics for entertainment.**

**Enjoy.**

**-x-x-x-**

"It's too…bright…" Tenten mumbled, pulling the blanket back over her head.

It was morning and the sun was shining brightly, with the birds chirping and kids laughing…

…And Tenten felt awful. She rolled over onto her stomach, and sighed, closing her eyes. Her head was pounding, and she didn't even know why.

She then rolled onto her side. She just couldn't get comfortable. After a few more tries of getting comfortable, she sat up, and rubbed her eyes. She had slept in, but she didn't care. She didn't have training today, and she didn't have any good missions.

Tenten had a bad week.

And a bad week before that.

And…before that.

Tenten had been having bad days lately. Nothing exciting happened to her…Neji was never around anymore since he began training alone, and Lee was always training with Gai…she wasn't really friends with any of the girls in the village…

The only time Team Gai got together was to go on missions or if Gai wanted them to "bond."

She sometimes hung out with Hinata, but only rarely. Hinata was always training alone or with her teammates, and that's all she did. Tenten was lucky to talk to her for a minute or two.

Tenten got up and figured she had better get ready for the day.

After she got dressed, she went to the kitchen and grabbed something to eat. She sat down at the table, and barely touched the food she had prepared.

Suddenly…she wasn't very hungry.

Tenten sighed.

Tenten was becoming depressed.

She didn't have anyone to talk to…since her parents…died. The thought made her even sadder…

Neji and Lee were never there…Gai was never there…she didn't want to make friends with Sakura and Ino…since the last time she tried to, they told her that they were going to give her a make-over and show her REAL fashion. Temari had visited, and they talked for a minute…but Tenten didn't find her so appealing.

The only good friend she had was Hinata.

But Hinata never had time.

Tenten always looked up to Hinata. Hinata was always brave, and she always had friends. Her team mates looked and cared for her. Hinata got over her shyness(except around Naruto) and was able to open up to people.

Tenten...she always liked to keep everything to herself. She never discussed problems with anyone... She didn't want to be a bother to anyone. Tenten also wasn't brave like Hinata was.

Tenten stared down at the bowl, and frowned. She wasn't hungry. She barely ate anymore. She noticed that she had lost five pounds in the last two weeks.

Her head continued to pound, and her stomach tightened. Her stomach told her she was hungry…her mind told her other wise.

"Whatever…" Tenten mumbled, and emptied her bowl.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. She blinked in surprise. "Wonder who that could be…" she said to herself.

She went and answered the door. There stood Hinata.

Tenten forced a smile, and said, "Hinata, what are you doing here?"

Hinata gave a slight shrug. "I was going to the training grounds with Kiba and Shino, but they said they couldn't make it until later." she explained. "I figured I'd drop by and say hello."

This time, Tenten smiled for real. "Really? Well, come in…if you want." she said. Hinata nodded, and entered the house.

They went to the kitchen, and sat down. "Can I get you anything?" Tenten asked.

Hinata shook her head. "No, but thank you."

Tenten sat back down. She was glad Hinata came over. Tenten needed some human contact…

"So, what's going on with you?" Tenten asked.

"I just got back from a mission with Kurenai. It wasn't really hard. We got it finished in a few days. Nothing really new. I have to meet Shino and Kiba in about an hour…or so." Hinata replied. "How about you?"

Tenten shrugged. "Nothing." was all she said. Tenten must have looked sad, because Hinata cocked her head to the side and gave a look of concern.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Huh? No, not at all." Tenten answered quickly.

Hinata wasn't convinced.

Hinata reached over and placed her hand over Tentens. Tenten gave her a confused look.

"Tenten…Something is bothering you. I can see it. You can tell me." Hinata told her.

Tenten hesitated. She didn't want to talk about how she had become depressed…there were lots of things on her mind…and they weren't nice things.

"I'm fine…really." Tenten replied. Hinata still wasn't convinced.

"Tenten…don't lie to me." she said softly.

Tenten stared at Hinata, and sighed. "I'm…I'm just not happy, Hinata. I just…don't feel good about myself. I mean…I don't really have any good friends. You're the only good friend I have. Neji and I used to be close…but then he moved on to train more. He just…left me. Lee and Gai, too. You're always away training or on missions. I don't wanna make friends with Ino or Sakura…Temari is okay, but I'd rather not…." Tenten said.

Hinata frowned. "I'm sorry, Tenten. If you want, I could cancel today-"

"NO!" Tenten interrupted her. "Don't cancel your plans for me! Really. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Hinata then said, "Something else is wrong. I can see it in your eyes. Tell me everything…I'll listen."

Tenten hesitated once again.

"Well…I was walking around the village the other day…and I ran into Ino. She told me about this guy who was hitting on her…and it made me think…I've never had a guy hit on me or even blush when I talk to him. I've never been on a date! I look at myself in a mirror…and I'm…" Tenten sighed. "I'm not attractive. I'm so plain, and I look like anyone else. I'm not pretty, and that's why I'm never pointed out in a crowd. I just wish…"

Tenten stopped.

Hinata shook her head. "Tenten, you're very pretty! How could you say-"

"Then how come I haven't had any guy like me? I mean, Ino has most of the guys after her, Sakura has Lee and Naruto…I've heard that Sasuke has developed feelings for her since he came back to the village, too. And you, Hinata…you may not realize this, but guys look at you too…they don't ever talk to you because Kiba and Shino are always there…"

This was the first Hinata was hearing of this.

"Tenten…I'm sure there's a guy out there wanting to talk to you. He's just shy."

"I doubt it. Besides…Ino would have heard about it and told me. You know how she is…" Tenten said, resting her cheek on the palm of her hand.

Hinata didn't know what would make Tenten feel better.

"I just want someone…" Tenten mumbled. "Someone I can talk to and be comfortable with…I mean, I don't want him to worship the ground I walk on, or always be up my ass every minute. I want…a guy who will be there for me and be my best friend…Y'know?"

Hinata nodded.

Hinata did understand. She was still in love with Naruto…but as Tenten said earlier…Naruto was still chasing after Sakura. Hinata wanted Naruto to notice her…but he never did…Hinata had learned to get over it and try to prove that she could be better than Sakura…Hinata always imagined them together, talking and laughing.

The only difference was…Hinata had someone to watch for everyday…Tenten didn't.

Tenten then gave Hinata a serious look. "If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell?" she asked.

Hinata nodded. "Yes, of course!"

Tenten took in a deep breath. "I used to like Neji…Like…like-like. Love him. But…I now understand…that I was always a training tool to him. He never looked at me like that. He's one of the reasons…I've been feeling alone. Before he started training alone…I had something to look forward to. I had someone to talk to after training…even if it was just small talk…Please don't tell him." Tenten said.

Hinata stared at Tenten, surprised. Hinata always knew Neji and Tenten used to be close…but she never knew Tenten had developed feelings for him.

"I'm over him now…I haven't seen or talked to him in weeks. I'm over him." Tenten told her.

Hinata gave a slow nod.

"I never knew…" she whispered.

Tenten gave a dry laugh. "Yeah, it was stupid. Me and Neji…we wouldn't have worked. So, I'm over it…" she said. "I want…someone new. As I said before…I want someone to treat me good, and talk to me."

Tenten stood up, and grabbed a glass, filling it with water. She took a few gulps of it, and set it down. Hinata stood up as well.

"I'm sorry, Tenten, but I must be going. If there's anything you need…whether it's just to talk or hang out, come find me. I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better…"

"Don't worry about Hinata. Things…I'm sure will…work out…somehow." Tenten said, forcing a smile.

And with that, they said their good-byes.

Tenten was left alone again.

She was beginning to feel a bit better…but now she felt empty.

She hated being alone…and the silence made her want to scream. She took a few more gulps of her water, and sat back down. She was going to do what she had planned after all…

Sit around…

And do nothing.

She didn't want to leave the house. She didn't want to run into Ino or Sakura. They were always having guy troubles…and frankly, Tenten didn't want to hear it. Last time she talk to them about their guy problems…It made her want to vomit.

They're just so freaking dramatic.

Tenten sighed, and looked out the window. "Today is just like all the others…"

**-x-x-x-**

**Well…Chapter one is FINISHED. Yay…This is my first serious chapter story…and if you've read TDDDKTM then you'll noticed it's written differently. I have a weird writing style…I like to overly describe things when I write like this…sorry about that. I hope this was good. Review, and tell me what'cha think!  
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**I hope you enjoyed this…the next chapter will be out soon…so REVIEW! XD See ya next time.** **:D**


	2. Hinata's Solution

**Hey guys. I figured I'd update.**** Thank you all who reviewed! Each and every one counts. :D Anyway, let's get this party started!**

**Oh, btw, I'm going to be gone for the next two week, so I won't be posting anything during that time. Me and Lexi are going on vacation! Yay! Oh, and guess what? We're pregnant. Well...she's pregnant...but ya know! :D Excited! I wrote a story in celebration, so if you like ShikaIno, go check it out! ;D  
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**Disclaimer: I own nothing mentioned in this fic. All these characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. **

**Enjoy!**

**-x-x-x-**

"Don't worry about it Hinata. Things…I'm sure will…work out…somehow." Tenten said, forcing a smile.

Hinata wasn't so sure about that. She stared at her friend for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I'll see you later, Tenten."

"Bye, Hinata."

And with that, Hinata left.

As Hinata walked out into the fresh air, she couldn't help but feel guilty. She knew that she wasn't the reason for Tenten's mood, but she couldn't help but feel bad for not cheering her up. Hinata always felt that Tenten was going through a hard time…but after that talk…

_I don't know what to do…_ she thought to herself as she walked down the streets of her village. _I've known Tenten for years, and she always seemed so happy until lately…_

Hinata watched the people pass her. She saw a group of girls, maybe around eight or nine, playing tag and running around. This brought a smile to her face. She never played games like that what she was younger because she was so shy.

Then she began to wonder…Did…Did Tenten ever play games? Did she ever play with the girls her age? Did she ever think of anything but training…?

_Maybe that's why she feels lonely…_ Hinata thought. _I mean, I'm her friend…but I didn't grow up with her. I've never seen her with anyone outside of training except maybe Neji and Lee…_

Hinata soon found herself at the usual training spot. Surprisingly, she was the first one there. Usually Shino was there, but he wasn't. Kurenai and Kiba - one or the other - were always late. Kurenai because of a certain Sensei named Asuma, and Kiba for sleeping in. She was a little early.

She found a seat under the shade and sat down with a sigh. "I really wish I could help her." she mumbled to herself.

Tenten was lying when she said she was okay, and that everything was going to be alright. But…Hinata didn't know what to do!

What could she do? Ask Ino and Sakura to take Tenten out for some company?

"No…Tenten never took a liking to those two…" Hinata rested her head in her hands.

She then thought back to their conversation:

**Hinata then said, "Something else is wrong. I can see it in your eyes. Tell me everything…I'll listen." **

**Tenten hesitated once again.**

"**Well…I was walking around the village the other day…and I ran into Ino. She told me about this guy who was hitting on her…and it made me think…I've never had a guy hit on me and even blush when I talk to him. I've never been on a date! I looked at myself in a mirror…and I'm…" Tenten sighed. "I'm not attractive. I'm so plain, and I look like anyone else. I'm not pretty, and that's why I'm never pointed out in a crowd. I just wish…" **

Hinata's head lifted up, and her mouth opened slightly.

"**Tenten, you're very pretty! How could you say-"**

"**Then how come I haven't had any guy like me?"**

Hinata's eyes widened.

"**I just want someone…" Tenten mumbled. "Someone I can talk to and be comfortable with…I mean, I don't want him to worship the ground I walk on, or always be up my ass every minute. I want…a guy who will be there for me and be my best friend…"**

It clicked.

It just…clicked.

"That's it." Hinata mumbled.

Hinata knew what would make Tenten happy. As she said before, Tenten wanted someone to love, and someone to love her.

Hinata smiled, and said, determined, "I'll help her."

Sure, Hinata wasn't like Ino. Ino could probably call up some guy and say, "Hey, I know this chick looking for a date, you interested?" Besides, Hinata wasn't just going to choose randomly.

Hinata stood up, and began to walk around, trying to collect her thoughts. "Wait…wait, wait, wait…" Hinata said. "What am I thinking?"

What was she thinking? She couldn't set Tenten up on a blind date! Was she mad! ? Hinata began to pace faster, deep in her thoughts.

"Hinata?"

"EEK!"

Hinata practically jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice. Hinata looked around until her eyes landed on Shino. Hinata gave a sigh of relief and placed her hands on her chest.

"S-Shino, you scared me!"

"My apologies, Hinata."

Hinata sat back down where she was, while Shino stared at her.

"What's on your mind?"

"Huh?"

"I saw you pacing. Is it about Naruto?"

Hinata's cheeks burned with a blush, and she shook her head quickly. "N-no!" she squeaked.

Shino raised a brow. "Then what is it?"

Hinata sighed. She knew she could trust Shino and everything…but was this something she could really discuss with him? She was actually thinking about setting Tenten up with some one on a blind date! It was a stupid idea, and she didn't know why she ever considered it…but maybe Shino would have an opinion…

"Um…okay, I'll tell you…but you can't tell anyone."

"Alright."

Hinata stood up, and said, "I just got back from Tenten's house, and she's not doing so well. I'm worried about her, and I think she's going into a depression."

Shino nodded. "I see."

"Yes, and she told me some of the things that are bothering her." Hinata replied. "She said that she's lonely, and doesn't feel…attractive, and think's no one will ever want to be with her."

"Oh? Why is that?" Shino asked. He thought she was pretty. She wasn't the most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen, but she also wasn't the worst.

Hinata shrugged. "I don't know. She doesn't feel loved, and…" she sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm just worried…and I want to help…so, I-uh…came up with a plan-a ridiculous plan!"

Shino raised a brow. "What?"

Hinata shook her head. "I…I was going to t-try and…uh, set her up with someone…" she whispered.

Shino was surprised. "With who, exactly?" Even he couldn't think of someone to set her up with.

Hinata shrugged once more. "I don't have a clue! So, this won't work. I just want her to…Oh, I don't know!"

They both stood their in silence for a moment.

Shino wanted to help the situation, even though he didn't know Tenten very well. Tenten was Hinata's friend, and he wanted Hinata to be happy. He just…He just wasn't so sure about this type of plan.

How did Hinata (of all people) think of something like that?

"I wish I could help." Shino said.

"I know, me too." Hinata mumbled.

Shino thought for a moment. "Why don't you talk to Neji?"

Hinata looked at Shino with questioning eyes. "Neji?"

"Yeah. Tenten and Neji are close, are they not? Maybe if you explained the situation to him, he'd talk to her. Then, maybe your plan would go into action." Shino explained.

Well…Neji would be an obvious answer…But Hinata wasn't so sure if Neji would be concerned, or even believe her. Neji was just like that. Plus, Tenten said before that the two of them had grown apart.

Hinata shook her head. "I don't think he'd take it seriously. He'd say he has better things to do…"

"Lee?" Shino asked. "Lee seems like he'd be enthusiastic about it."

"No, then Tenten would know it was a set up." Hinata sighed. "Besides, he still has eyes for Sakura."

"Oh."

Those were the only two guys they could think of…Which was kind of sad.

Shino shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about it, Hinata." he told her. "Let Tenten work things out on her own."

"But-"

"No buts." Shino interrupted. "Things will work out on their own. Just leave it alone."

Shino thought it would be a better idea for Hinata just to leave it alone and give Tenten some space to think things through. If he knew Hinata like he thought, she'd leave it to fix itself.

Hinata wasn't so sure though.

"Hinata! Shino!"

Hinata and Shino turned their heads to the sound of the voice, and saw Kiba and Akamaru jogging up to them.

Shino nodded at him, and Hinata waved. "Hello, Kiba." Hinata said with a kind smile.

Kiba gave a goofy grin, then looked around. "Huh? No Kurenai?" he asked.

"Not yet." Shino said.

Kiba sighed. "Why does she always gotta be late?" he asked, annoyed.

"You weren't exactly on time either, Kiba." Shino replied.

Kiba turned and glared at him. "Shut up. I slept in!" he defended, and Akamaru barked in agreement.

This was around the time Kurenai showed up. Her hair was messy, and her lip stick was smeared. Her cheeks her heated up, and she had a nervous grin on her lips.

The three of them stared at her. Kiba raised a brow. "Morning, Sensei. You been busy?" he snickered.

Kurenai's face was fully pink now, and she glared at her student. "That's extra push ups for you."

Kiba let out a laugh. "What did I do?"

"You know what you did."

Kiba always did extra push ups every time they got together anyway, whether is was because of something he said or did.

**-x-**

"…55...56...57...58..."

A few hours later, training ended. Well, it ended for Hinata and Shino. Kiba had to stay after to do push ups.

Hinata usually stayed behind, though. Just to make sure Kiba was alright.

"…78...79...80...81..." Kiba counted as Kurenai watched over him. She wasn't watching closely. She just wanted to leave so she could…you know…with Asuma.

Hinata sat under a tree as she watched Kiba complete his 200 pushups. As she sat there, her mind wandered back to Tenten.

_I know Shino told me to leave it alone but…I just feel like I _need_ to help her. _Hinata thought. _She's helped me through so much. Like, she always made me feel confident about getting Naruto's attention, or about confronting my father. She's helped me through so much, yet she never asked for anything in return. _

"…124...125...126...127..."

For the first time in the whole time she's known Shino, she was actually going to go against his wisdom.

"…136...137...138...139..."

Hinata sighed, and rested her cheek against the palm of her hand, her eyes following Kiba up and down. She could see the drops of sweat dripping off Kiba's forehead. You'd think Kiba would learn by now, right? Well, Hinata knew Kiba. Kiba liked to poke at their Sensei until she, well, made him to extra push ups. Hinata didn't think Kiba minded, though.

"…172...173...174...175..."

Hinata studied Kiba for a moment.

Kiba had grown up a lot. Sure, he had his immature moments, but so did every one. He wasn't a jerk either, even though that's what he comes off as at first meeting for most people.

He was a great friend, too. Kiba was one of the main reasons Hinata got over her stuttering issue and become more confident. Maybe not around Naruto…but that was still a work in progress.

"…196...197...198...199...200!" Kiba gasped and collapsed onto his stomach.

"Great." That's all Kurenai said before she said her goodbyes and left for her date with you-know-who.

Hinata waved goodbye to her Sensei, and got up. She walked over to her panting friend and teammate, a grin on her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Heheh, you ask that everyday." he muttered with a tiring laugh. Kiba forced himself to get up into a sitting position.

Hinata could see his shirt sticking to his chest, as well as some hair to his forehead. Her cheeks turned a light pink, and she gave a nervous giggle, looking away. She sat herself down in front of him, and sighed.

"Are you okay?" she asked once more.

Kiba gave her his goofy grin, and replied, "Yes, Hinata. I'm used to it."

They sat there for a moment in peace.

"So, how's your day going?" Kiba suddenly asked.

Hinata looked up at him in surprise. Through their moment of silence her mind had wondered back to Tenten, and the way the sadness filled her eyes.

Hinata shrugged. She wasn't sure if she should tell Kiba. It wasn't that she didn't trust Kiba, it's just…she wanted to take Shino's advice and leave it alone…even though her mind wouldn't.

"Same as everyday." she lied. "Y-you?"

Kiba looked at her with a frown. "Same." he replied. "Now, tell me how your day really went."

It's funny how Kiba knew she was lying…not that it was obvious…with the little stutter and what not.

"What?" she asked while trying to look innocent.

Kiba sighed. "Is it Naruto?"

Hinata's face turned a bright red, and she shook her head. "N-n-no!" she stuttered. This caused Kiba to roll his eyes.

"What did he do?' he asked. Hinata couldn't help but notice the annoyance in his voice.

Hinata wanted to tell him about Tenten and see if he had any ideas.

_No, leave it alone._ Hinata thought. _Well…what if he could help? No…how would he hel-_

Click.

It clicked.

Hinata gasped, and stared at Kiba. Kiba stared back at her for a moment in confusion before looking around him, then back at her. "What?"

Hinata blinked rapidly. "Kiba…Just…Just give me a moment." she mumbled.

What in the world was she thinking? !

Hinata took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. What was with her today? She never had this much trouble with getting her head into motion.

Would her idea work?

Would Kiba agree?

What if he said no?

What if it turned into a disaster?

Oh dear…

Hinata closed her eyes, and thought long and hard.

Kiba, on the other hand, was wondering what she could be thinking about so hard. His first guess would be Naruto, and that just made him annoyed. It wasn't that he didn't like the annoying, loud, obnoxious, orange, bratty…

…Okay, maybe he disliked Naruto a teeny-tiny bit…

But it wasn't anything personal…

…Well…

…Okay it was kind of personal…

…But whatever.

Hinata had her mind made up. Her eyes shot open and she stared Kiba in the eye.

He was the answer.

"Kiba," Hinata said seriously, "I need your help."

Kiba raised a brow. "With…?"

"I need you to do a big favor for me." she said.

Kiba was kind of surprised. Hinata never asked for favors…This must be serious.

"Alright? What's this about?" he asked. He was curious, even though it most likely about Naruto…

…Blah.

Hinata figured she had better start from the beginning. She took in a deep breath. "Alright, this morning I stopped by Tenten's house to say hello. Well, we began talking and…and…Kiba, she's going into a depression." Hinata started.

Kiba nodded. "Okay…" He wasn't sure what this had to do with him.

"Well, I got her to tell me what was wrong, and she said that she feels alone, and unattractive, and…Ugh, I tried to tell her that she was none of those things. She said she's okay, but I know she's not! The way she feels…it's not healthy! She wants to feel loved and happy!" she explained.

Kiba was still kind of confused. "Okay?"

Hinata took in a deep breath. "Kiba…I came up with a solution." she said. "The main thing she said that she wanted…was for someone to care about her. She doesn't feel attractive for that reason. She kept comparing herself to Ino and Sakura. And…" she paused.

Kiba wasn't really sure what to say. "So…?"

"So…I…uh." Hinata didn't know how to ask Kiba this.

She thought about if for a moment in the awkward silence, and figured she might as well spit it out.

"Kiba, you're the solution." she said…and that wasn't what she wanted to say.

"I'm…what?" Kiba asked.

"Kiba…The favor…" Hinata gave an awkward smile. "I want you to ask Tenten out."

**-x-x-x-**

**Okay, this could just be me, but I'm kind of sad with the way this came out. I didn't really know how to explain the way Hinata was thinking. Basically, Tenten helped her through a lot in the past, and she feels like she HAS to return all that with this. Then this last part where she's trying to ask Kiba to help her, well I put myself in her position and that's what I got. I'd feel just as awkward as she did…Also, sorry about the cliffhanger. ;D We all know how I love to do that, right? Anyway, review and tell me what'cha think! See you all next time!**


	3. Kiba's Confusion

**I'm back! Sorry it's been a while...I was on vacation, remember? We stayed a bit longer than planned, but that's okay. We had fun. We just got back yesterday, but we're settled now. Figured I'd try and update. Y'know. All that good stuff. Thank you for all the reviews as well! They mean a lot to me! :D Always puts me in my Author mode...and we all know how I get when I'm in Author mode... XP Haha!  
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**Disclaimer: I own nothing mentioned in this fic. These characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. **

**Enjoy! **

**-x-x-x-**

"I want you to ask Tenten out."

...

...

...

Uhhh...did...did he just hear her right?

Kiba's expressions didn't change, and he just stared at her, processing each of the words that just came out of her mouth. Akamaru's ears perked up, and he looked at his master.

Hinata continued to smile awkwardly. She still couldn't believe what she had just asked him.

_He's not saying anything,_ Hinata thought. _Why isn't he saying anything...?_

Kiba blinked a couple times. "Uh...what?" he asked. He was suddenly uncomfortable, and began to shift on the ground.

Hinata's uncomfortable smile fell, and she let out a sigh. She should have thought something like this would happen. "Kiba, I said..." she started, but stopped. She stared him in the eye.

This kind of made him more uncomfortable, but he stared back, ready to listen. He was sure that she had actually said something else. Psh, why would she ask him something like this! ? This was Hinata! She doesn't just randomly ask-

"Can you ask Tenten out?" she asked in a whisper, her eyes leaving his.

...

Or maybe she did...

Yep, Kiba had heard her the first time. They sat there for a moment in silence. After a minute or so, Kiba finally spoke.

"Uh, H-Hinata?"

"Yes...?"

Kiba scratched the back of his head, and shifted once more. "Uh, um...What-...Why-" Kiba stopped. He wasn't really sure what he was trying to say.

Hinata figured out that he was confused about her question. "Now, Kiba-"

"Why are you asking such a thing?" he blurted out.

"W-well..." she gave a deep sigh, "Let me start from the beginning, okay?"

"Sure, you do that." he said. He was very nervous, and confused.

"As I said before, I saw Tenten today. She's in really bad shape, Kiba! She feels as though no one cares about her, or thinks she's attractive, or that she doesn't have any friends! And, even though she assured me that she was okay, I know she was lying! Kiba, she has done so much for me in the past, and I just want to help her!" Hinata explained. She searched Kiba's face for a reaction.

"So...what does this have to do with me?" he asked. He didn't want to sound rude or anything...he just didn't know what else to say.

Hinata then felt the need to stand. She had just become restless just sitting there. Standing up, she brushed some loose stands out of her face.

"She said she wants to feel attractive! That's what she wants the most! And...well, that when I came up with this idea." she shrugged.

Kiba still wasn't sure what this had to do with him.

"And I thought of a few other people to do it! Like Neji, but he would never go for something like this!"

_And I would?_ Kiba couldn't help but think.

"Then I thought Lee...well, I don't think that'd be a good idea. He'd ruin the whole thing and she wouldn't enjoy herself knowing it was a set up."

_Yeah, good point._ He thought.

"And...well...those were the only two I could think of." Hinata shrugged, and gave him a helpless look that made Kiba feel just as bad.

"I asked Shino about it, but he said to let Tenten figure it out on her own! I was going to, but I can't help it! Kiba, I just want to...I don't know..."

The sad part...Kiba was actually starting to see where Hinata was coming from. He would probably feel the same if, like, Shino was in the same mess. Kiba looked over at Akamaru, who gave a dog-like shrug.

"Then, I thought of you." Hinata sighed.

Kiba frowned, and stood up as well.

Hinata looked at the ground. "Kiba, I asked you because...because I know it would make her happy. Even if you just showed a bit of interest-"

"Even if I don't have an interest?" he asked.

Hinata looked up at him. "I know it sounds...unthoughtful...but, please."

"Hinata, we're not even the same age." he said, making an excuse.

"Sixteen and seventeen isn't that far apart." Hinata replied.

_Yeah, that's true..._he thought.

Kiba closed his eyes as he rubbed them with both his hands. They then went up his forehead and into his hair.

"Alright, let me get this straight. You want me to go to Tenten - whom I've barely even talked to - and ask her out...even though I have no interest. Correct?" he said.

When he put it that way, it did sound like a bad plan...but...what else could Hinata do?

She nodded. She looked up into his eyes, and frowned.

Uh-oh...that look. Kiba felt guilt form in the pit of his stomach. The way she was looking at him with that helpless expression on her beautiful face...

...How could he say no?

Kiba looked away from her face, and at Akamaru, who just whined. He was telling him to go along with it.

Kiba sighed and looked back at Hinata.

"I understand if you don't want to." she whispered, looking at the grass.

"If it'll make you happy...I'll do it." Kiba mumbled, a small streak of pink crossing over his nose.

Hinata looked back at him. "You will?" He actually agreed?

He didn't reply, he just nodded. Hinata smiled, and gave him a light hug.

The blush across Kiba's nose darkens as he hugged her back.

They pulled apart, and Kiba forced a smile. "So, how should I do this? 'Hey, Baby, wanna go out?' or...?" he joked.

Hinata gave a small giggle, and replied, "No! Do better than that!"

That was when another thought popped into his head. "Hey, uh...What if she says yes?" he asked. He didn't really like that idea.

Hinata thought for a moment. She had considered that that had a small chance of happening...but she highly doubted it.

"No, I don't think she'd say yes."

Kiba was almost offended. "Are you saying I'm not good enough for her to say yes?" he questioned.

Hinata's face turned red, and she shook her head, waving her hands in front of her. "N-no! I didn't mean it l-like that!" she stuttered.

"Really? You made it sound like I'm not boyfriend material." Kiba accused, a small smirk pulling at his lips. He was half way teasing, anyway...

Hinata's blush darkens, and she mumbled an apology.

Kiba winked at her. Well, he figured he might as well use humor to make himself feel better...since he wasn't so sure about this...

Not that he'd say so...

Hinata smiled, and her blush faded away. That was when she got an idea. She walked over to her bag that was sitting next to Akamaru, and looked around inside. Kiba watched her curiously.

Hinata then pulled out another bag, and tossed it to Kiba.

"Those are some of Tenten's weapons. I was going to bring them back to her this morning, but I guess I forgot." she gave him a warm smile. "Take them to her."

Kiba raised a brow at her. "I see. " he nodded, and looked in side the sack. They were just some kunai, and whatnot. Nothing special.

But hey, at least he had his ice breaker.

He closed the sack up, and looked up at the sky. It was still light out, but he knew the sun would start to set in maybe an hour or two.

"Were you planning for me to do it today?" he asked.

Hinata hadn't thought about when he should do it...She shrugged. "Whenever you feel like." she replied.

Kiba frowned. "I won't do it today," he told her, "because you just talked to her today. She might be suspicious if I do it too soon...maybe I go tomorrow. In the afternoon..." he said more to himself than to her.

Hinata nodded. "That's probably best."

They stood there in silence. It wasn't like the other silences they had today...this silence was more comfortable.

"I had better go." Hinata said, grabbing her bag. Kiba glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Alright. Akamaru and I are gonna stick around a bit longer."

"Okay." Hinata turned and began to walk, but stopped and turned. "Kiba?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you. I appreciate this favor. It'll mean a lot."

Kiba forced a smile. "Anytime."

With that, they said their goodbyes once more, then parted. Kiba sat down under one of the trees, and Akamaru ploped himself down next to him.

**Why'd you agree?** Akamaru asked, whining.

"Because she asked me to."

**I ask you for lots of things, too. Where's all my steaks?**

"That's different."

**Oh, right, right...I'm just a dog. Not a pretty girl with an ever so pretty face.** Akamaru rolled his eyes.

"It's not like that." Kiba snapped back.

**Oh, Kiba, just admit it!** Akamaru barked.

"What? Admit what?"

**You only agreed because you really care about Hinata! Had anyone else asked you would have said no.**

"So? Maybe I would have. And you care about her, too."

**Not in the same way you do.**

Kiba glared at the mutt. He knew he was right, so he didn't argue any further...

Kiba sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.

"I've gotten myself into a mess." he mumbled.

**It's your own fault. You could have told Hinata no. Told her that she should leave it alone, just like what Shino had said. But, no. Besides, do you even know who Tenten is?**

"Of course I do. She's the girl on Neji and Lee's team. The one that's skilled in weaponry." he replied.

**Do you at least think she's pretty?**

Kiba thought back to what Tenten looked like...and...couldn't get a clear picture in his head. She had blond hair...right?

"Yeah, she's...cute." he guessed.

Akamaru shook his head. **You, my friend, are screwed.**

Kiba sighed. "I know..."

**-x-x-x-**

**I'm disappointed with this chapter; it was kind of short. DX I ended last chapter with such a good cliff hanger that I had a hard time starting this. I apologize if Hinata seems a bit OOC, but I tried to make as much in character as I possibly could. Kiba as well. I think I made the point, though, right? Next chapter will be much better(and longer), I promise! Pinky swear! :D**

**Please review and tell me what'cha think! Feedback is always appreciated. :D**

**See you guys next time. :P**


	4. Dreams

…**Long time no see. I apologize for the long wait, but I've been busy. I'm sure I've said this before, but I do have a life outside of FF writing. Another reason is my wife is about six months along. :D So yeah, those are my excuses for not being on since last year. Hope you guys had a happy New Years, by the way. :)  
><strong>

**Anyway, I got inspired when I read some new reviews that came in, and then I read the older ones. Just gotta say that I love you guys. :D Please enjoy this next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing mention in this story. All these characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. **

**-x-x-x-**

That night Kiba paced back and forth in his room. Akamaru lay on his masters bed, watching. Every once in a while, Kiba would stop and stare at Akamaru or the wall, then continue pacing. He had the same concentrated look on his face, and, in all honestly, it worried Akamaru.

**Will you stop?** Akamaru asked.

Kiba looked at his companion, and sighed. "Hey, I'm trying to think, okay?" Kiba replied, running a hand through his tangled hair.

**It's your own fault. Besides, what's there to think about?**

"Oh, I don't know. How about how to NOT make an ass of myself? Ugh. I know it's my fault, but I couldn't say no! You know that!"

**False. We talked about this already. You could have said no, but you choose to say yes. Now, you have to go through with it. **

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know. Just…ugh, why'd she have to ask me? She should have just gone along and asked Lee or something! I mean, she should have thought this through a bit better! I barely know Tenten! What am I a suppose to say?" Kiba rolled his eyes, " 'I've been watching you from afar, my Love! Too nervous to ever approach such a beauty!' ?" Kiba continued to ramble. "Actually, she should have taken Shino's advice and just left it alone. Then I wouldn't be having this problem!"

Akamaru shook his head. **So, you're saying it's Hinata's fault?**

"Yes-No? Kinda? I don't know!"

**Don't think so hard Kiba. You should just sleep on it. Why are you so worked up, anyway?**

Kiba turned his back to Akamaru, and replied, "I've never asked a girl out before."

**Ah, so you're nervous.**

"Not _nervous_! Just…just…confused? Yeah, confused."

Yeah, Kiba was confused, but he was also nervous. Though he didn't admit it, Kiba's stomach was doing flips, and he didn't like it. He didn't like the nervous feeling.

What reason did he have to be nervous? It was just Tenten! That blonde chick on Neji and Lee's team! It wasn't like he was asking Hin-

Kiba felt his cheeks heat up, and he rubbed his eyes with an annoyed sigh. "This is ridiculous." he mumbled.

**Yes. Yes, it is. **Akamaru agreed with a yawn.

"I should sleep on it."

**Yes, you should.**

Kiba went to his bed, and pushed Akamaru off.

**Hey!**

"Not enough room for both of us, buddy."

**Grrr. After all I do for you….**

"Going to bed was your idea…"

Akamaru shook his head, and laid down.

An hour passed, and Kiba still couldn't fall asleep. Akamaru could sense his owners lack of sleep, and decided that they might as well talk about it some more…maybe that would put Kiba to rest…

**So, what'cha gonna say?**

"Ugh…" Kiba rolled over and buried his face into his pillow.

**I think you're going to need something better than that…**

"Go to sleep, Akamaru."

**You first.**

Kiba didn't reply. He rolled back over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't shake the nervous feeling in his stomach. He tried clearing his mind, but then it would just wonder back to having to ask Tenten out…

Why did he have to agree to this?

He cursed his soft spot for Hinata. He closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. He forced himself to focus on something else. He thought about how his training was coming along, and what he should be improving. He thought up a list of things he needed to work on as soon as possible for him to get better.

Kiba felt his weariness take over, and he soon found his mind wondering somewhere else again as he fell into a dream.

-x-

_He watched her from the tree branch he sat on with interest. She was dressed in a little white sundress this fit her nicely, and she held a thick book in her hands. Her eyes were focused on the pages, and she lips with pulled into a tiny smile. _

_A breeze went through the trees, and it felt nice against his warm skin. He watched as that breeze brushed her hair to the side, and how she moved the strands back behind her ear. _

_With his eyes still fixed on her, he jumped down and landed on his feet silently. She didn't even notice. She was so into her novel. Her eyes darted back and forth on the pages, and turned them with delicate speed. _

_He slowly approached her, and went down on his knees in front of her. She still hadn't noticed him. She turned the page, and he smirked. He reached out, and grabbed the book, pulling it away from her. _

_She was about to protest, but then she saw that it was him. She shut her mouth, and smiled shyly. He closed the book, and tossed it to the side. She watched the book land a bit away from then, then looked back at him._

_He raised a brow as the wind blew a piece of hair in front of her face. He reached over, and tucked the hair behind her ear. She giggled, a pink blush forming on her pale cheeks. God, she was beautiful. _

_He then reached out and grabbed her hands with his, and entwined their fingers. _

_She then leaned forward, and lightly pressed her lips against him. Closing his eyes, he kissed her back. Letting of her hands, he wrapped his arms around her waist. She hands were tangled in his messy locks. He felt her press her body against his until the two fell back, him on his back with her on top, their lips still locked._

_They broke away for a quick breather, but then locked lips once more. His hands moved down to her hips, back up to her waist, up to her shoulders, and back down. Her hands went down his sides, and made their way up his shirt. Her hands were cool, and they sent shivers up his spine. _

_She broke away from his mouth, and went to his neck. She laid feather-like kisses along his jaw and neck before she found a tender spot. She opened her mouth and placed it over that tender spot, and nipped and sucked. _

_He inhaled deeply, and shivered. He tilted his head to the side, giving her more room. He couldn't help but grin. _

_She moved her lips away from his tender spot, and went to his ear. "Kiba…" she whispered._

_Kiba closed his eyes, and gave a light moan. _

"_I need you to do me a favor…"_

_He chuckled, and kissed her shoulder. After what they were doing, he was excited to here what her favor was. _

"_Kiba…I need you to…-" she kissed his jaw, her fingers running up and down his chest, "ask Tenten…out…"_

…

…

…

…_Wha?_

_His eyes shot open. She moved away from his ear, and looked down at him with a smile. She leaned down and kissed his forehead, then the tip of his nose, and then his chin. "Pretty please…" she whispered, her voice echoing in his ears. _

_Did she really just ask…?_

"_Uh-" He was about to say something, his her fingertip touching his lips made him stop. _

"_Shhh…Do it, Kiba…" her voiced echoed again, "…do it for me…"_

_She bent down and pecked his lips. She moved away, and pulled herself off of him, leaving him there on his back. _

_He leaned up, watching her with a questioning look on his face as she brushed her skirt off. She walked over and grabbed her book, then went back to the spot that she was sitting in earlier, and began to read…_

…_As though nothing had happened._

"_Do it for me…"_

_Kiba closed his eyes._

"…_For me…"_

_-x-  
><em>

Kiba's eyes shot open, and he sat up in his bed. He looked around in the darkness, trying to remember where he was. He sighed when he heard Akamaru grunt.

Akamaru heard his masters abrupt wakening, and lifted his head up to look at Kiba. He gave a loud yawn, and stretched his body out.

Kiba rubbed his eyes, and ran a hand through his hair.

**Nightmare?** he heard Akamaru yawn.

Kiba gave an sour chuckle. "Not exactly."

Akamaru cocked his head to the side. Even though the room was still pretty dark, he could see the annoyed look his master had.

**Wanna tell me about it?**

"No." Kiba quickly replied. "It's not a big deal."

**Now, why don't I believe that?** Akamaru stood up, and went to the edge of Kiba's bed before jumping up with his master and laying down.

Kiba fell back onto his back, and sighed.

**Was it about the Tenten situation?** Akamaru asked.

_Kind of, _Kiba thought.

"No. I'm not sure what it was about. Kind of weird." he replied. He was suddenly very uncomfortable in his bed.

Kiba gave a frustrated sigh, and jumped up.

**Where are you going?** Akamaru asked, watching his owner walk towards his bathroom.

"I need to cool down." Kiba mumbled, shutting the door.

Akamaru shook his head. On the bright side, he had the whole bed to himself again.

-x-

Tenten stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes had dark circles under then, and her hair was still up in two messy buns. Her skin had sickly yellow tint from her face and down to her toes.

Standing in her bra and underwear, she continued to stare at herself in her full body mirror. She looked over her torso, noticed the tiny little scars scattered around.

_How attractive, _she thought sarcastically.

She then looked over at her desk, and noticed a black pen sitting there. She reached over grabbed it. She looked back at the mirror, and sighed. She approached it, a frown tugging at her lips. She opened the pen, still staring at herself.

She just didn't understand.

Why did she have to feel this way?

Why did she have to feel weak, worthless, unattractive…?

Why couldn't she feel good about herself, like she used to?

What changed that?

Her mouth and throat felt dry, and she about when she was happy with herself. She used to smile all the time, and laugh, and joke around…She used to see the bright side of everything. The glass was half full…

…now it was just…empty.

With the pen in hand, she wrote on the mirror: Brown Hair: Nothing Special.

She looked at her messy buns. Strands were falling out, and they were uneven. She used to free hand, and untied them, letting her long hair fall. She grabbed a lock, and looked at it. There wasn't anything special about her hair. It was a unique color, like Sakura's or Hinata's. It was shiny and bouncy like Ino's or Temari's.

Under that, she wrote: Brown eyes: Plain.

Her eyes weren't anything special, either.

Under that: Skin: Dry and Uneven.

Her skin wasn't bright and clear. She had the occasional break out, and her skin was really dry. She reached up and touched her cheek, sighing.

She continued the list.

Nose: Too Long.

Lips: Too Thin.

Breasts: Too Small.

Waist: Not Curvy or Thin.

Hips: Too Wide.

Thighs: Blah.

Feet: Too Big. 

Tenten stopped, and stared at the list. She couldn't see herself clearly anymore. She felt her eyes sting, and in big, capital letters, she wrote:

WEAK.

USELESS.

UNATTRACTIVE.

The tears streamed down her cheeks, and she choked. She threw the pen aside, and stared at the list she made.

"I don't want to be…" she whispered. Her body trembled, and she reread the list over and over again.

Still crying, she hurried out of her room, and ran to the kitchen. She grabbed a washcloth, ran it under hot water, then ran back to her room.

Reading the list one more time, she gripped the cloth in her hand tightly. Choking on her tears, she wiped at the pen on the mirror, smudging the writing, but not erasing it completely.

She wiped at everything…except, she left WEAK untouched…

Out of all the things she put on the mirror…that one was the most true. She threw the washcloth aside, and her watery eyes scanned over the mirror. She shook her head, and wiped her eyes dry.

"I can't…" she mumbled. "I can't…I have to try…"

She sat on her bed, and pulled her knees up to her chest.

All she wanted was to feel something good again. To be sure of herself, and the things around her.

She just…wasn't sure anymore.

She looked out the window into the night sky. It was late, and she was so tired. She was always tired. Yet, she didn't get much sleep.

"I have to try…"

She got up, and turned the lights off. She stood there in the darkness, and she never felt so alone. She made her way to her bed, and laid down.

She closed her sore eyes, and tried to find a happy dream.

**-x-x-x-**

…**That was depressing to write. Not Kiba's part, but Tenten's... **

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Next Chapter, Kiba's going to have to get over his nervousness, and just do it…Right? Oh, this should be an interesting outcome, eh? I just hope Tenten doesn't hurt herself before he gets there…**

**Thanks for reading! Review! See you guys next time!**


	5. Awkward

…**Y'know, I feel like a broken record…apologizing every chapter for the delay. Hm. Well, I truly am sorry for those who are patient, and have been patient with me for the past few months…But I'm here now. :D **

**Oh, and in case you were wondering….I became the daddy of a beautiful baby girl named Tristan.:)**

**Enjoy. ;D**

**-x-x-x-**

**Are you ready?** Akamaru asked, looking up at his owner.

Kiba was sitting on the bed, looking out his window. It was a sunny afternoon, and he was all dressed and ready to go. He had the sack of weapons Hinata gave him the day before in his lap, and had an idea of how to approach this whole thing.

What he hadn't figured out, though, was why he was so nervous.

"…" Kiba didn't reply. He watched as a light blue bird landed on a branch outside his window, and ran a hand through his unruly hair.

Akamaru stood and walked over to his owner. **C'mon, let's go! I wanna see how this turns out!**

"You're not coming with me."

…**I'm sorry, what?**

"You're not coming with me." Kiba repeated. "I already have enough on my plate. I don't need you there as a distraction."

Akamaru was taken back. **I won't be a distraction! **he protested.

Kiba stood from his bed, and walked to his door, Akamaru right by his side.

"There won't be much to see. I'm just going to ask her out, it'll be awkward, she'll reject me, and I come home with what little dignity I own." he explained.

**Well, what if she accepts?**

Kiba turned to his long time pal, and smirked. "What are the odds of that?" he asked, before closing Akamaru in his room.

Akamaru let out an annoyed growled. **That boy's ridiculous. Distraction…pfft.** He looked around, and realized that he was locked in…

…He hated being locked in.

**KIBA! LET ME OUT! KIBA!**

-x-

Tenten splashed water on her face, and rubbed her eyes. Drying her face, she looked into her bathroom mirror. She couldn't believe how tired her eyes looked. Her hair was a mess, and her shirt was wet from the sink water she slashed onto her face. Throwing the towel aside, she left the bathroom.

Today was he last day off, and it was just like the rest. No where to go, no where to be. Wanted no where…

She brushed her hair, and decided to put it in a single, messy bun on the back of her head. A few strands feel out, but she didn't care. Who was going to see her like this anyway?

She went to her closet and grabbed a large green shirt, and black Capri pants.

When dressed, she went to her mirror, and remembered what had happened last night…

WEAK

She read the word, and a wave of pure sadness washed over her. She grabbed a thin blanket, and covered the mirror. If she looked at it anymore she would crack.

Sitting on her bed, the emotions of last night tightened in her chest. She couldn't sleep, even when she was lying in bed.

She rose from bed late in the night…

…And the pain was eating her insides.

Tenten closed her eyes, and rubbed her wrist.

_Her closed eyes opened. Even though she was exhausted, she couldn't find rest in any dreams. She wrapped herself in her blankets, and closed her eyes._

_It didn't help._

_Frustrated, she threw the covered to the floor, and sat up. Tears of aggravation fell from her eyes, rolled down her puffy cheeks, and onto her hands. She jumped up, and ran to the kitchen._

_Her thoughts were running wild. _

'_I'm alone.'_

_She grabbed a clean cup, filled it with water, and chugged it down. She choked a few times due to her tears,_

'_It's lonely here.'_

_Finished, she set the glass side, coughing._

'_What's left?'_

_Her sore eyes glanced at the set of knifes hanging from the wall._

'_No one cares.'_

_She reached out and grabbed one…_

'_I don't care…'_

Her eyes opened, and she sighed. Last night was a mess, and she wasn't sure how she ended up in the kitchen with a bloody wrist.

That's what must have snapped her out of her trance…

Her wrist was bandaged, but it was still sore and in pain. She continued to rub it, and stared at the covered mirror.

WEAK

Yes…

It was another moment of weakness.

Her head began to pound lightly, and she glanced back down to her wrist.

How was she supposed to live like this…?

-x-

"Here I am…" Kiba mumbled, looking up at Tenten's house. He had taken his sweet time getting there; taking the long way there, walking at a slow pace, stopping for an ice cream cone, eating that ice cream cone in the park…

Yeah, he was stalling. Procrastination, really.

But, now he was there.

His grip on the sack of weapons tightened, and he let out a small sigh. There was no reason to be nervous…so why was he.

_I better move…_ he thought. _People will start thinking I'm a creeper for just standing here, staring at her house._

He made his way to her porch, and stared at the door.

He raised his fist to knock when a thought came to his mind.

_What if she's not home…?_ he wondered. That would be great and frustrating at the same time. Great because then he wouldn't have to go through with the plan. Frustrating because he already lost sleep over it…

Hinata said she would be home, since it was her day off…But what if she left to go do something.

Kiba raised a brow. "What if she left for another date? Or had an emergency?" he pondered.

"Ugh." he rubbed his forehead. "You're stalling. Stop it." he told himself. "Just knock, idiot."

Kiba raised his fist once more, and knocked.

-x-

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Tenten rose her head, and looked around. Was someone knocking?

She stood from her bed, ad quickly rubbed her eyes. Who the heck could that be?

She ran to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror.

Oh God…she looked awful. Especially since she was just crying.

She sighed. "I'll just ignore whoever it is." she muttered.

But…

…What if it was Hinata?

A feeling of hope ran up her spine.

But…she didn't want Hinata to see her like this, either!

But…if it was Hinata, she would have someone to talk to about what happened last night, and get help!

But…what if it _wasn't_ Hinata?

"Ugh!" Tenten shook her head, and hurried out of the bathroom. It didn't matter! She wouldn't find out if she didn't answer.

She reached the door, and took a deep breath. She swung the door open.

There stood Kiba.

The rush of hope left Tenten that second.

Oh God…

-x-

Kiba was slightly surprised when the door swung open. He eyed Tenten up and down. He was surprised with the way she looked. She looked as thought she just got out of bed. Geez, what if he woke her up…?

"Hi." Kiba said.

Tenten raised a brow at him. "Hi."

"Hi." The word left Kiba's lips before he could control them.

"Hi?"

"Hi…"

He felt stupid.

They stood there for a second before Kiba remembered his icebreaker: the sack of weapons.

"Um, Hinata a-asked me to bring you this…since she's, uh, busy today."

Well…that came out very smoothly…

He held up the sack. Tenten reached out and grabbed the sack. "Oh…thanks. Where's Hinata?" she asked.

Kiba shrugged. How was he suppose to know?

"Uh, her family training…or something, I guess." he lied.

"Oh…"

"Yeah…"

Another silence.

_What do I say now…? Do I ask…? _he wondered.

Tenten shifted in her spot, and said, "Well…thank you for bringing them over…"

"No problem…"

Tenten looked around. "Well…by-"

"Would you mind if I came in?" Kiba blurted out without even thinking. Suddenly, he regretted that.

He watched her reaction. She looked very surprised. "Uh…" She obviously didn't know how to reply to that.

He felt so awkward…

…and so _stupid_!

"I, uh, I guess?" she said it more like a question than a statement, and opened the door more for him to enter.

-x-

Why was he asking to come in?

Tenten suddenly felt very insecure about herself and her home, but let him in anyway. She closed the door behind him, and went to her living room table to set the weapons down. Kiba followed her, looking around at everything.

She turned back to him. What was he doing? Why did he want to come in? Tenten looked him up and down.

Kiba was focus on a painting that was hanging on her wall of a bouquet of flowers.

"Nice flowers."

"Yeah…My grandma painted them."

"They're…nice."

"Yep."

Silence.

Kiba turned to her, and sighed.

"Look, Tenten…" he said.

Tenten gave him a questioning look. _What's his deal?_ she wondered. It wasn't that she didn't mind company…it was just that she didn't really know Kiba…and it was becoming rather awkward.

"I, uh…Well, I came here to, um, ask you something." he said, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.

Tenten crossed her arms, and waited. "Okay?"

She noticed that he was…fidgety. _What's wrong with him?_ she asked herself. Sure, she didn't know Kiba personally, but from what Hinata's told her, and from what she's seen…Kiba was usually straightforward, confident, and not a fidgeting mess.

Kiba ran a hand through his locks, and glanced up at her. "I was wondering…uh,"

She waited.

"…If, maybe…You wanted to…go out…tonight?"

…

…

…

…What?

Tenten's eyes widened. "P-pardon?"

"If you don't want to-"

"Can you repeat that?" she asked. She had to make sure she heard him correctly.

He suddenly looked very uncomfortable. He took a deep breath, and repeated, "Do you want to go out tonight…with me?"

She had heard him correctly.

She just couldn't believe it.

"But, if you don't want to it's fine. I'd understand." he told her. Tenten was still in shock.

"Uh…"

_He just asked me out!_ Tenten thought. But, _I don't really even know him though! _

Tenten pondered on the thought. She had said before that she wished guys liked her, and here was one that just asked her on a date! All feelings of sadness and awkward were suddenly vanishing. What was the worst that could happen by saying yes?

They have a bad date? Hey, at least she went on a date!

Screw it!

-x-

He did it.

He asked her.

And he never felt like such an idiot.

She was staring at him, and he couldn't really tell what she was thinking.

Pfft, she was probably thinking he was dim-witted for ever asking her such a thing. Heck, he barely knew the girl! He didn't even know her hair color was brown and not blonde!

He was starting to get very uncomfortable.

"Well," he said, breaking the silence. "I need to get go-"

"Yes."

…

"…What?"

"Yes." Tenten said. "I'll got out with you tonight."

**-x-x-x-**

**Ah, I forgot how good it felt to leave you guys with cliff hangers. Haha! So…what do you think is going to happen? I already know. :D**

**Oh, and I apologize if that little part with Tenten cutting herself was a bit much, but this is rated T…and that won't be the only time I write something like that. Just warning you. ****J**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and Review! I'll try my hardest to update soon. Might be hard though, with Tristan here. ;) See ya next time!**


	6. Did that really just Happen?

**...Guess who's back? Back again? The Ladies Man is back! Tell a friend! **

**Yep. Here we are two years later. How has everyone been? Are you still there...? No...? Oh. Okay. Well, anyway, I'm not going to throw excuses at you. Instead, I'll tell you this: I've done lots of things dealing with writing these past two years. I've been going to workshops and taking classes. I've come up with so many ideas for stories of my own, but I don't feel like I'm ready for that yet. Then, I remembered this. . The website that occupied my life for how many years? Anyway, needless to say...**

**I'm back. And I'm stronger than ever. :)**

**Please enjoy Chapter Six of You will be Loved, Pretty Girl: Did that really just Happen?**

**-x-x-x-**

Kibas heart skipped a beat. "...What?" he stared into Tentens brown eyes, and noted the look of determination on her face.

"Yes," Tenten said, "I'll go out with you tonight."

At this moment, the wheels in Kibas head sputtered and came crashing down. She...she said yes? Blood rushed to his cheeks, forming a blush that spread out across in nose and reached the tips of his ears. He felt as though his heart was going to burst through his chest and run away screaming.

_This-This wasn't the plan! She was supposed to say no! Hinata said she would say no!_ The thoughts scrambled around in his brain.

He was sure he was just standing there looking like a complete baffoon for several minutes, but Tenten continued to look him in the eye with that same look.

"R-really?" the word escaped Kibas mouth before he could fully comprehend the situation he found himself in.

He watched as Tenten nodded, and could tell the smile on her face was forced. "Yes. I would like to go out with you."

"Why?" Again, the word came out before Kiba had a chance to stop it. He studied her face and the forced smile. _Wait a minute,_ he thought, _maybe she doesn't have the heart to turn me down and so she said yes out of pity!_ He wasn't sure if he should have been insulted or not, but he didn't care at the moment. "Look, you don't have to say yes out of pity or anything b-because that wouldn't really be good so-"

"I'm not saying yes out of pity, though." Tenten interrupted him. She crossed her arms, and looked away from him. Kiba blinked a few times, confused. He tried to study her face once more, but now he really couldn't tell what she was thinking. Ugh, he wasn't that great with telling how people were feeling to begin with, especially when it came to people he barely knew, and he barely knew Tenten.

Kiba cocked his head slightly, waiting for her to say something more that would magically clear this up.

-x-

Tenten wasn't sure what the feeling in her gut was, but she almost...liked it. She was feeling something that wasn't painful or self-loathing or hateful. The feeling grew within her as she watched Kiba's reaction her answer. His eyes told her that he was trying to process the information given, but was having trouble.

Then he asked her why, and if it was out of pity. Pity was definitely not the reason. Her reason for why she said yes was so easy in her head. She was looking for something that would make her feel attractive, loved, and needed. Now, the confused boy standing in front of her may not be the love of her life, but he was a start.

Just last night she was having the biggest break down since her parents, and her throbbing wrist reminded her of that. She saw this as a sign. This was a sign that there was hope for her after all, she just needed a push off the cliff of self-hatred into the sea of hope and love. And, if she was correct, this was the wind telling her to jump.

She had to say yes, but explained that to Kiba might just confuse the boy more, so she stuck with something simple.

"You seem very nice, Kiba. So, why not?" She said, forcing a smile. A look of slight shock spread across his face, and he eyed her. She thought maybe he thought she was joking with him, but she wasn't.

He then let out a small sigh, and scratched at his neck. "O-okay. So, then, um...tonight, then?" he asked.

She nodded. "What time?"

-x-

_What time?_ _Shit..._ He hadn't made any real plans due to the fact that he thought she was going to reject him, but now he seemed to have control of his brain, sort of, so he acted quick.

"Oh, uh...how about 7? Does that work?" he asked, glancing away from her and back at the flower painted on the wall.

"That's fine."

"Okay..."

"...Okay."

Kiba gulped. Things somehow just got awkward again. "S-so...I'll pick you up at 7 then..."

"Alright."

Kiba turned on his heel, the sudden urge to bolt out of the house tingled within his legs. "Well, hehehh, I gotta go! Gotta go do some...stuff! See ya tonight!" he said quickly, walking towards the door, Tenten right behind him.

"Y-yeah! M-me too! See ya tonight! Hehehh..." Tenten stuttered out, opening the door for him, waving slightly.

The two avoided eye contact as Kiba stepped out of the house. He heard the door shut behind him, but he continued on his way.

When he was far enough away from Tenten's house, he stopped, and let out a loaned groan of frustration, tangling his fingers within his hair.

"Ugh! Did that really just happen!?"

-x-

"Did...did that really just happen...?" Tenten asked herself quietly, leaning against the door. Her cheeks were flushed, her heard pounding, and her mind racing. It was almost unbelievable that she acted as cool as she did.

She had a date tonight...she had her very FIRST date tonight. Granted, she wished that it was with someone else...but as soon as that thought crossed her mind she felt guilty. She shouldn't think like that. Hell, she was lucky to even have a date with someone anyone. Especially someone who, from what Hinata had told her, was kind and strong.

Yes, her sudden turn of luck was almost overwhelming, much like the situation. She absent mindedly pushed herself away from the door, and made her way back to her room. She entered her room, and sat on her bed. She replayed the events that took place merely minutes ago over and over again in her head. She tried to remembered every nervous and shocked look Kiba gave her, and every dumb word that escaped her lips.

She frowned. She wondered if she sounded stupid...

She then stood, and went into the bathroom. She cringed at her appearance in the mirror. "No wonder he kept saying things like 'you don't have to' and all. I look terrible." she muttered. She brushed away a loose strand of brown hair out of her face, looked away from the mirror.

"Why would he be interested, anyway...?" she asked herself.

Then, another thought jolted through her. How was she going to get ready for their...their date.

Their _date_...

"Oh, God..." she mumbled.

-x-

Kiba walked home in a daze. When he arrived home, he ignored the numerous dogs that attempted to tackle him to the ground, and pushed his way to his room.

In his room, Akamaru was still searching for any means of escape.

When the door swung open, Akamaru turned and growled at his master. **You!** he barked.

Kiba ignored him, still lost in his thoughts. He sat on his bed, frowning. Akamaru watched him with curiosity. He walked and stood in front of his master. **You do know that you locked me in here, right! Did you do that on purpose!?** Akamaru demanded, sitting.

Kiba looked down at his best bud. "Akamaru..."

**Geesh, what happened to you? What, did she reject you **_**that**_** hard? Or, did she hurt you!? Huh? Did she hurt you! Tell me! ** Akamaru growled.

Kiba rested his elbows on his knees, and buried his face in his hands, sighing. "She didn't hurt me, Akamaru." he mumbled.

Akamaru stopped growling, cocking his head to the side. **Huh? She didn't? Wait...then what happened? Why do you look so-** he cut himself off, realization hitting him. His lips curled into a doggish grin. **She said yes, didn't she?**

By the way his master twitched at his words told him that he was indeed correct.

"Ugh..." Kiba brought his head up. "I didn't even do anything to make her say yes! If anything, she should have thought I was a creep and kicked me out! But, instead she said yes and now I have a date tonight!" He leaned back on the bed as Akamaru shook his head.

**You're acting as though this is the end of the world. It's really not that bad. Besides, **Akamaru jumped up on the bed. **I knew she would say yes.**

Kiba turned his head to glare at the mutt. "Oh, did you..." he muttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Akamaru chuckled.** I figured she wouldn't say no. I mean, I don't tell you this because I don't want you to get a big head and walk around all high and mighty, but you're a good-looking human. **

"As far as humans go, you mean?" Kiba scoffed.

**Well, yeah. Some of you are just odd-looking. **

Kiba couldn't help but chuckle. But, the smile on his face faded away, and he sat up, suddenly serious.

"She said yes. I told her I would pick her up at 7."

**Great. What are you two gonna do?**

"I don't know...what do people do on dates?"

**Well, I don't know about humans, but I know I every "date" I've been on consisted of several minutes of mating.**

"Ack, Akamaru!" Kiba shot the mutt a disgusted look. "I don't need to know that!"

**Although, I doubt you should try to mate with Tenten for now. ** Akamaru ignored him, continuing on. **I heard that you should wait until the third date before the mating starts and-**

"S-stop!" Kiba stuttered out, grabbing his pillow and hitting Akamaru with it. He could feel his face heat up at all this talk of "mating" and such.

**Ah! Hey! I'm only trying to prevent you from making an ass of yourself!**

"If you want to help then stop talking like that!" The last thing he needed on his mind was sexual thoughts.

The room was silent for a moment as Kiba thought to himself. Akamaru watched him curiously, and was about to ask him what was on his mind until Kiba stood from the bed.

"C'mon, we're going for a walk."

-x-

Clothes were thrown everywhere. Tenten has just spent the past hour trying on numerous outfits...but nothing looked good. Why couldn't she have better clothes.

She let out a sigh of frustration, flinging her pink top she had on off. She sat on her bed in her bra and panties. While she still has plenty of hours until Kiba came to pick her up, she still felt that this was all hopeless. How was she supposed to feel good about this date and about herself if she couldn't find anything that look good?

Maybe she could call Hinata... Tenten perked up. Yes! She could call Hinata! Even though Kiba said she was busy today, maybe she could spare a moment to give her an opinion about an outfit, color, _anything_ that could help her out. Not only that, but she was also close with Kiba, therefore she could probably help her with something that he would like.

Tenten blushed at the thought. She wanted to impress Kiba. The thought was strange, but it wasn't untrue. Honestly, she wanted to impress him because she wanted to prove that she could be impressive in an attractive type of way, rather than in a combat way, like she usually was.

Making up her mind, she left her bedroom, no care to the fact that she was still in her bra and panties, and headed for the phone in the living room. She dialed the number to the Hyuuga residence.

After a few rings, a masculine voice answer. She asked in Hinata was available, and she was put on hold. A moment later, Hinatas timid voice reached Tentens ear. "Hello?"

"Hinata! It's Tenten. Are you busy?"

"Tenten! Is something wrong?" Hinata voice filled with worry, ignoring Tentens question.

"Oh, no! I'm fine!" Tenten reassured her. "I just wanted to ask you something."

"Oh? What is it?"

Tenten opened her mouth, but then shut it. Where did she begin? From the beginning? She suddenly felt sort of embarrassed about asking for advice about this sort of thing.

"Tenten?"

Tenten snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, sorry! Um, you'll never guess what happened today."

"Tenten, you sound very happy!"

Tenten gave a small smile, even though Hinata couldn't see it. "Yeah, kinda. Um, anyway, someone came over today, and...and kind of surprised me."

"...Oh?"

"Yeah..." Tenten felt her cheeks flush. "You sent Kiba over here to return my weapons and...well, I bet you won't guess what he did."

"...O-oh? W-what?" she heard Hinata stutter. Strange, Tenten thought she had gotten over that stutter.

"He asked me out. _He_ asked _me_ out."

"O-oh, did he?"

"We have a date tonight at 7."

The line was silent.

Tenten wasn't sure what she was expecting as a reaction from her friend, and since she couldn't actually see her she couldn't get a facial reaction either. She didn't know what to make of the silence.

"Hinata...?" Tenten wondered if she accidentally hung up or something.

"Y-you said y-yes?" Hinata's stuttering words reached Tentens ear. Tenten raised a brow, confused.

"Yeah. He's going to pick me up at 7. That's why I'm calling, for advice."

"A-advice?" Maybe it was just Tenten, but Hinata's voice almost sounded panicked. She wondered if she overwhelmed the girl by asking for boy advice.

"Well, he's your teammate and you've know him forever, and I'm having a hard time figuring out something to wear so I just thought that maybe you could give me an idea?"

"U-uhmm...!"

Tenten frowned. "Hina-"

"T-T-Tenten! I have t-to go! I-I'm sorry!"

"Wait-!" Tenten tried to say, but Hinata had already hung up.

Tenten stared at the phone in confusion. Perhaps she did overwhelm her...or maybe she caught her at a bad time...or maybe something was happening. Tenten didn't know, but, more importantly, she didn't know what she was going to do know.

Another thought popped into her head, and it wasn't the first time it had appeared within her mind, but she had managed to push it away before...but now...she may just have to act on it.

Earlier, while trying on clothes, she had thought to herself, _Ugh, why can't I have nice clothes? Or a good sense of fashion? Why can't I be like Ino or something?_

...Well, Ino had definitely been on multiple dates, so she would know a thing or two...

...She was just annoying. Tenten sighed. Yeah, Ino was kind of annoying, but what other choice did she have? Unless she wanted Kiba to pick her up while she was dressed in rags then she should maybe call Ino...

With a frown and a sigh, she picked up with phone, and dialed the number to the Yamanaka residence.

-x-

Hinata's heart pounded wildly. Tenten had to know she was up to something! How could she not? She was a complete stuttering mess!

"She said yes?" Hinata whispered to herself. She question the feeling in her chest. She wasn't expecting her to actually say yes. She was expecting her to politely turn him down, but then feel confident in herself and start to feel better...but she said yes?

It wasn't that she doubted Kiba or anything like that...it was just that...she was surprised...and something else.

Hinata then noticed that she was poking her fingers together, a habit she thought she had gotten rid of. She quickly brought her hands to her sides, and let out a soft sigh.

_Maybe this is a good thing_, she told herself. _Maybe an actual date will be good for her. And Kiba, too._

She told herself this...but something was off within herself...if only she could figure out what it was.

**-x-x-x-**

**...So, has my writing style changed at all? ;P**

**I really hoped you enjoyed with chapter. It truly felt good to write this. Hell, it felt good to be back on this story. Leave a Review and tell me what you think. Or yell at me, which ever you prefer. :D Tell me what you think about Kiba and Tenten going on a date? Will it be a disaster? Will it go well? Will they mate? Will Ino help? What was up with Hinata? Where does Neji come into all this? Let me know your opinions! It only strengthens my writing!**

**Also, side note: I am so far behind on Naruto...Ugh, I have heard so many spoilers though that I don't really want to catch up...even though I still love Naruto, and want to continue writing about it. And the phone thing, I don't remember if they have real phones, but I know they have, like, walkies and stuff. If they don't have phones, pretend they do, because I can't remember. :P**

**Oh, and for anyone interested, I will be posting an update on my profile with the reasons why I disappeared off the planet for the past two years. **

**See ya next time! :D**


	7. Preparations and Continuous Thoughts

**Hey guys! surprised to actually see that I updated? Well, I'm not really surprised that you're surprised. Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

**-x-x-x-**

Akamaru's tail wagged happily as he walked along side his master in town. The streets where busy with children running around, mothers doing their weekly shopping, friends hanging out, and many others. Akamaru loved going for walks.

Akamaru looked up at his master, and gave a doggy frown. **Kiba, walks are a good thing! Smile!** Akamaru barked.

Kiba ignored his best pal, not even giving him a glance. He had far too much on his mind. How could he truly smile right now? Everything took a strange turn in the past 72 hours.

_Why did she say yes?_ the thought wandered around in his brain continuelessly. Tenten didn't know him, didn't know what he was like, didn't know what he did in his spare time or what he did in his training routines, didn't know anything about the Inuzuka clan, hell, she probably didn't even know Akamaru's name. It went both ways, too. He hardly knew anything about her. All he knew was that she was friends with Hinata, and that she was some sort of weapons expert. Hell, he didn't even know her hair color until about an hour and a half ago.

Kiba let out a small sigh. _Why did __**I**__ say yes...? _

She flashed through his mind.

_Oh...that's right._

Hinata.

His teammate and friend. She had asked him to do this. He said yes because she asked him to. Even if he had really truly wanted to say no, he wouldn't have.

The frown on Kiba's face deepened and he continued to walk, avoiding running into the people they passed.

_Hinata..._ His mind wandered to her pretty pale eyes, and long silky hair. Her skin was as smooth and polished as porcelain, the small blush that would stain her cheeks, her fingertips that would brush oh so carefully across his wounds as she helped him, and the twitch of her pink lips as she gave her a soft sincere smile. God, she was a beautiful. Not just in appearance, but inside, too. He had never met anyone as strong and kind-hearted as her in his existence so far. She was almost too caring at times, taking a liking to those who didn't even deserve it.

Like Naruto.

Kiba's brow twitched at the thought of the little blond idiot that his fair-skinned teammate had swooned over for years. If Kiba had to come up with a definition for ungrateful and oblivious, it would be Naruto Uzumaki. Ugh, the brat almost made his blood boil at times. Sure, he acted all friendly to the kid and messed around with him from time to time, but most of it was for show. He found Naruto annoying, along with his whole squad. In Kiba's book, they were just a group of angsty teens, nothing more.

Kiba gave a soft groan. Maybe he was being too harsh on him, but he couldn't help it. It wouldn't be so bad if Naruto would just open his eyes and see just how gorgeous Hinata was...then maybe things would be easier. Maybe then Hinata would truly be happy...

...and Kiba could move on.

But he couldn't. As long as Hinata was chasing after Naruto, and Naruto remained oblivious to the whole thing...then Kiba couldn't move on. He couldn't move on because there was still hope. Hope that Hinata would stop being so oblivious herself. She would open her eyes and instead of seeing some smiling orange buffoon...she would see her teammate and best friend.

Kiba could feel an ache in his heart, and he absent-mindedly scratched at his chest, hoping to remove it somehow. Years and years of admiration and longing could do that to a guy.

The ache was always there, it seemed, but he had learned to ignore it...but now it seemed more prominent than ever at the moment.

Something hard hit his shoulder, snapping out of his thoughts. He heard a stranger mumble an apology, and did the same. He gave a long sigh, and looked down at Akamaru, so looked back up at him.

**You need to pay more attention, y'know. It's rude to keep running into people like that. **

"That was the first time. " Kiba muttered in reply. Akamaru shook his head.

**You're worrying way too much about this.**

"Am I?"

**Yes. A dates a date. It doesn't mean you have to marry her. You two just go out, have a mediocre time, say goodbye, and part ways, never to speak ever again.**

Kiba rolled his eyes. "That simple, eh?" He glanced around, and noticed Ichiraku's. Maybe some ramen would help.

"C'mon, Akamaru." he said, walking in and sitting on the stool, and ordered his usual bowl. Akamaru sat down, and looked up at his owner.

**Why don't you take her here?** Akamaru suggested.

Kiba frowned at the idea. "Yeah, because that doesn't spell 'cheap date,' now does it?"

Akamaru shrugged, tired of hearing his complaints.

Kiba's order came to him, and he dug in. As he slurped the noodles, his mind wandered back to Hinata.

_"Kiba, I need your help."_

_"I need you to do a big favor for me."_

_"This morning I stopped by Tenten's house to say hello...and Kiba, she's gone into a depression..."_

_"Kiba...I came up with the solution."_

_"Kiba, you're the solution."_

A frown pulled at Kiba's lips.

_"Kiba...the favor..."_

_"I want you to ask Tenten out."_

Her words jumped around in his head rapidly. He recalled their entire conversation, and how her eyes lit up when he agreed to help her with her plan. God, her eyes...

Kiba closed his eyes, continuing to eat his bowl of ramen. He was only in this situation because he couldn't tell her no, or to mind her own business. He said yes so that she would be happy.

Now look at him.

Time passed, and Kiba finished his food. He paid, and left. It was around 5:30, and the very thought caused butterflies to flutter in the pit of his stomach. He has less than two hours to figure something out. He recalled the awkward conversation with Tenten, and he felt embarrassment sink within him.

_"Kiba, she's gone into a depression..."_ Hinata's words echoed in his head. Kiba furrowed his eyebrows, and tried to remember what else Hinata said about Tenten.

_"...she feels alone, and unattractive..."_

_"She said she's okay, but she's not! She kept comparing herself to Ino and Sakura..."_

_"She wants to feel loved and happy..."_

_"The way she feels now...it's not healthy!"_

Kiba thought back to how Tenten looked when she opened the door for him. She looked as though she had just gotten out of bed, even though it was almost 1. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and...and her eyes were swollen. Yeah, now that he thought about it, her eyes were a bit red and swollen...

...as though she had been crying.

Kiba knew what a person looked like when they had been crying. He couldn't count the number of times he comforted Hinata as she cried into his chest.

Not only that, but he also noticed that Tenten's attired was a mess, and slightly dirty, as though she hadn't washed them yet. She also had bandages around her wrist and hand, but that was most likely from training.

_She didn't look too good. _Kiba thought. He knew Hinata's concern was genuine, and he wasn't going to question it. Perhaps there really was something wrong with Tenten...

Kiba felt bad.

"Akamaru," Kiba said, stopping in his tracks. Akamaru stopped as well, cocking his head to the side as he looked up at Kiba.

**Hm?**

"I think I know what I'm going to do."

**Oh? Do tell.**

Kiba gave a small smile. "I'm going to try to make this a great date."

-x-

Tenten hung up the phone, and sighed. She didn't know if she was going to regret this, but she had done it, either way.

The conversation with Ino had been simple. As soon as the word "date" left her lips, Ino had let out a loud squeal, said she would be right over, and hung up. Tenten didn't even managed to get out who the date was with.

"Oh, well." Tenten sighed.

Tenten made her way back to her room, putting on her robe and attempting to pick up a bit before the enthusiastic blonde came barging in. She made sure her mirror was hidden underneath the sheet, and figured she'd have to come up with an excuse when Ino was here.

_KNOCK!KNOCK!KNOCK!_

Tenten was about to head into the bathroom when she heard the hurried knocking at her door. Guess she would have to bathe while Ino was here.

She hurried down stairs, and as soon as she opened the door, Ino pushed her way in. "Tenten!" she exclaimed. Tenten forced a smile.

"Hi, Ino." she replied, and eyed the bag that Ino was carrying.

"Tenten, you have no idea how surprised I was that you called me, but I am SO glad you did! I mean, who else would you call? Billboard Brow? Haha!" Ino laughed, then became serious. "You didn't call Sakura, right?"

Tenten shook her head. "No, I only called you."

"Great!" Ino smiled happily, looking around Tenten's house. "So, take me to your closet and tell me _everything_!"

"O-okay." Tenten replied, nervously. She really wasn't the type to do this type of girly interaction, but she felt she had no choice.

She lead Ino up to her room, mumbling an apology for the mess. Ino looked around the room. "You might want to clear the bed if you're planning on inviting him in. The clothes might get in the way."

Tenten gave Ino a shocked look. "W-what? I'm not inviting him in on the first date! Sheesh!" Tenten sputtered out, a small blush creeping across her nose at the thought of bringing a boy into her room and onto her bed.

Ino laughed. "I'm kidding! Look, Tenten," she set down her bag on a clear spot on the bed, "my first piece of advice is this: The less you give a man, the more they'll give you."

...Huh?

"What do you mean?" Tenten asked.

"I mean just that!" Ino then opened the bag, and Tenten could see a mixture of cosmetics, hair utensils, and other things Tenten couldn't quite place. "The less you give him, the more he will want you, and the more he will give you."

Ino then looked her up and down. "Now, when does this date of your start?"

"He's coming to pick me up at 7."

"Great! We have plenty of time! Let's do this!" Ino exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air. Tenten stared at her awkwardly, unsure of how to react.

"Let's take a look at this closet!" Ino began to rummage through Tenten's closet. Tenten watched as Ino tossed things here and there, commenting on how cringeworthy they all were. Tenten was almost annoyed.

About ten minutes passed before Ino went through her entire closet. "Okay, it took some time, but I think I may be onto something." Ino looked over her shoulder, smiling. "Why don't you go bathe, and I should be done by the time you finish. Make sure to wash really good!"

Tenten gave a dry laugh, and went to her bath room, leaving Ino to her work.

She drew the bath, feeling the steam of the hot water hit her face. She slid her robe off, as well as her bra and panties, and slid in. The warm water was soothing, and caused her to let out a small sigh.

She could heard faintly hear Ino talking to herself in her room across the hall, but paid no attention to it.

Tenten began to think about everything that happened. To think that yesterday, she was in the kitchen choking on her sobs over her bloody wrist, and now she had a date. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought.

_"U-um, Hinata a-asked me to bring you this...since she's, uh, busy today."_

Tenten remembered the way Kiba seemed to avoid eye contact with her and he held out the sack of weapons for her. Was he really that nervous...to talk to her?

_"Would you mind in I came in?"_

She was definitely surprised to hear that from him. After all, they didn't know each other...they were friends...why would he want anything to do with her...? His tone, though...she couldn't quite place it...

_"I, uh...well, I came here to, uh, ask you something..."_

He was nervous. Tenten could tell that much from all his fidgeting. But, she didn't understand why, even now. While she never personally talked to him before, he seemed so confident when she did see him be some chance, but never gave him a second thought. Hinata talked about him and Shino sometimes, and the way she talked about him made him seem like such a confident guy...a confident guy who wouldn't have any issues asking a girl out...so...why...?

_"I was wondering...uh..."_

_"...If, maybe...You wanted to...go out...tonight?"_

Why so suddenly though? What was with his sudden interest? Why did he pick...her?

Tenten closed her eyes, and frowned. She was nothing special. She wasn't gorgeous like Ino and Sakura, and wasn't nearly as good of a person (or beautiful) as Hinata. Hell, Temari was probably better than her in a million ways. She...she was...

Tenten shook her head, trying to shake those stupid thoughts. She had to stop being so weak. Attempting to distract herself, she stopping relaxing and began to was her hair and body. After all, she had to be squeaky clean for Kiba.

...For Kiba.

As she ran the soap over her shoulders, she tried to remember exactly how he looked when he visited her. He was dressed in the attire that she usually spotted him in when he was with Hinata, but something was off...

"Hm..." Tenten tried to think of what it was. When he came and saw her, he had the red markings on his cheek, and and nothing seemed to be different about his apperal...

...Oh! His dog!

"Huh, that's right. His dog wasn't with him." she whispered her herself, rinsing her hair. She had never seen him with out that overly large dog of his...how could she miss that?

"Wonder what that means..." Maybe his dog was just sick, or stayed outside...

Maybe it didn't mean anything. Tenten finished rinsing herself off, and sighed.

She had to admit, though, she felt extremely nervous. Her stomach was doing flips, and her heart seemed to be beating slightly faster than usual. She may not have had any romantic feelings for Kiba, but she was feeling things that she hadn't felt in a long time...

...feelings that she hadn't felt since Neji.

Tenten felt her body grow tense at the thought of the long-haired Hyuuga.

Neji Hyuuga...her teammate and the first boy she ever had a crush on. She used to look forward to everyday that she would get to see him and train with him. She loved helping him become stronger, and she was always so confident in his abilities. Yes, he was distant, quiet, and focused purely on his training...and sometimes he was cold towards everyone around him...but that didn't stop her attraction to him.

But now...he moved on. He moved on with out her...

...and the worst part was that it he didn't even seem to care.

Maybe he never did.

Tenten's eyes were burning, and she realized that a few tears escaped and fell into the bath water. She hated thinking about Neji like this. Thinking about him made her feel weak and needy. She knew that he never thought about her, so she had no right to think about him...

She had to stop. She had more important things to think about.

Tenten got out of the tub, and wiped her eyes with a towel before wrapping it about her body, drying herself off. "Stop it." she told herself. "It doesn't even matter..._he_...doesn't even matter." She knew she was trying to convince herself...

"Tenten!" Ino's voice called from the other side of the door. "Are you almost done?"

"Yeah! One moment!" Tenten replied, unwrapping the towel from her body and using it to dry her dripping brown locks.

_I have to get it together!_ Tenten thought, putting on the pair of clean undergarments and pulling her robe back on._ I can't let these thoughts ruin tonight._ She took a deep breath, and left the bathroom.

When she came back into her room, she found Ino looking ever so proud of herself.

"Tenten, no offense, but you really need to go shopping! I mean, not even half of these clothes would have been date worthy! When was the last time you went clothes shopping?"

"I don't remember," Tenten replied, annoyed. Yeah, she knew her clothes were the best, but Ino didn't have to put salt in the wounds.

Ino shook her head. "Tsk, tsk! When this is over, we're going shopping! Don't worry, though! I managed to find something from the very back that I think will do perfectly!" Ino exclaimed. She then held up an article of clothing that Tenten hadn't seen in a long time.

It was a short sleeved, silky, light green qipao-style dress with a light floral pattern. Tenten stared at the dress. The dress was something her mother had bought her many years ago, but it was far too big at the time. Her mother had said it was for a special occasion, but never told her what that occasion was.

Pushing that thought right out of her mind, Tenten let a small smile play on her face. "I forgot about that..."

"Yeah, well it was the only thing I could find, and I personally wouldn't wear it, but I think it will look good on you!" Ino said, winking at her. Tenten wasn't sure how to take that, so she just ignored it.

Ino handed Tenten the dress. The fabric was soft, and the delicate detail was astonishing. Tenten let out a short, soft laugh. _Special occasion, huh? I guess this counts..._ She thought. _Thanks...mom. _

"Well? What are you waiting for! Put it on! C'mon! Then we can move on to the fun stuff!" Ino urged.

"I hope it fits..." Tenten said more to herself than Ino. Ino helped her slide into the dress. It fit her perfectly now.

"Hell yeah! I told you! Look at yourself!" Ino then went to the mirror, and was ready to pull off the sheet covering it, but Tenten quickly stopped her, grabbing her hand.

"No! That mirror, uh, is broken! I broke it last week and haven't replaced it! Hahah..." she lied. Ino eyed the mirror for a bit before shrugging.

"Okay, I guess we'll wait." Ino said, placing her hands on her hips. "For now, let's work on the hair while you give me the juicy details!" a mischievous smile spread across her lips.

"Juicy details...?" Tenten questioned as Ino motioned for her to sit on the bed before sitting behind her, brush in hand.

Ino began to comb through her hair. "Sooo...I don't think you've told me who the lucky guy is."

"O-oh?"

"Yeah! Who is he? Is it Lee? Because if it's Lee then you don't really have to try hard. It doesn't take much to please that guy. I mean, he was after Billboard Brow for how long? Waaaay too long!" Ino rambled on.

"It's not Lee..." Tenten interrupted her, wanting to avoid a rant about how much better Ino was than Sakura

"Oh. Well, then who is it?"

Tenten sighed, feeling her cheeks heat up. She shouldn't be embarrassed about this, after all, Kiba wasn't that bad...right? That, but she was also worried about Ino spreading it around before they actually finished their date. But, she couldn't not tell her since she had agreed to help her get ready.

She pressed her finger tips along the silkiness of the dress. "Uh, Kiba..." she mumbled.

"Hmmmm?" Ino stopped brushing Tenten's hair. "I didn't hear you."

"Kiba."

"Woah, wait! Kiba? Kiba Inuzuka? _He_ asked you out? Whaaat?"

Tenten couldn't tell what Ino's tone was, but it didn't sound bad...more like, surprised.

"Yep. This morning."

"Oh my god! What did he say? What did he say?"

"He, uh, came over to give me back some weapons I let Hinata borrow, and he kind of just...asked." Tenten suddenly felt even more embarrassed. She then felt the bed jump a little as Ino squealed and clapped her hands together.

"Ohmigosh! I didn't think _Kiba_ was the one! Damn, Tenten!"

"Huh?"

"I mean, Kiba's pretty cute, y'know! Did he say what you guys are doing? How long are you guys gonna stay out? Oh, are you gonna kiss him! Ah, what if he tries to kiss you!?"

Tenten was becoming overwhelmed by the sudden questions, and her flushed cheeks were proof of that. "Ack, I-I-I don't know, Ino!" Tenten shook her head. "What happened to giving less to get more?"

"Right! Don't initiate a kiss! If he does go in, don't use tongue! Just a light, soft kiss that will leave him begging for more at your feet!" Ino explained, a fire in her eyes.

Again, Tenten wasn't sure what to say to that. "I doubt we'll kiss, Ino."

"Huh? Why?"

"We pretty much just met."

"So?"

"So...I doubt it'll come to that. " What else was she supposed to say?

Ino shook her head, a light smirk on her face. "We'll seee~!" she practically sang. "Now, lets finish up with hair! Then onto the make up!"

Tenten sighed. Oh well, she should have expected this, after all.

-x-

"What do you think of this?"

**Meh, I liked the black one better.**

Kiba frowned, looking down at the grey button down shirt he had on. "Hmmm, maybe you're right." he said, unbuttoning the shirt and throwing it off onto the pile of clothes on the floor. He picked the black button down shirt, and slipped it on.

As he was buttoning the shirt, Akamaru looked him up and down from his place on the bed. **Yeah, black is a better choice. **

"I guess. It shouldn't even matter what I wear, right? I could wear what I ewear everyday and it would be fine."

**I don't know about that. **Akamaru disagreed.** You said you wanted to make this a great date, right? Wearing the same thing you wear everyday won't make it seem special. I guarantee that she won't be wearing her daily attire.**

"I guess..." Kiba mumbled, then turned to his best bud. "How do you know so much about human stuff like this anyway?"

Akamaru shrugged. **I get around.**

"Psh. You do not get around."

**I listen, then. I listen to things you don't pay attention to. **

"Is that so?" Kiba rolled his eyes, running his fingers through his hair. He had gotten out of the bath about twenty minutes ago, and his hair was still damp. He could still hardly believe that he actually spent twenty minutes on deciding what to wear. What was he now, a girl? Ugh.

Before Akamaru could reply, and loud shout came from outside Kiba's room.

"KIBA!"

Kiba groaned. "WHAT, MA?!" he shouted back.

Instead of hearing his mother shout a reply, Kiba found his door being kicked in by his mother, who had a large wooden spoon in her hand and wore a scowl on her face. Kiba and Akamaru flinched at the noise of the door.

"Why aren't you in the kitchen? Don't you know that I just spent the last half an hour on dinner and you're LATE!" Tsume exclaimed.

Kiba sighed, turning away from his extremely loud mother. "I'm not having dinner tonight, Ma."

"What?! Why the Hell not!?" Tsume then threw the wooden spoon in her hand at Kiba, nailing him right in the head.

"OW! Dammit, Ma!" Kiba exclaimed, clutching the back of his head. Luckily, there was no blood. The last thing he needed to worry about was a wounded head.

"Answer me!" Tsume demanded. Before Kiba could shout back at his short-tempered mother, he noticed something off about her. She was wearing her usual wear...but then had a fluffy pink apron on over it. It looked very out of place.

"What is that?" Kiba asked.

"Don't change the subject!"

"Why are you wearing something so...frilly?"

"It soothes me while I cook!" Tsume crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at her son. "Now, answer me, dammit! Why are you ditching your one and only mother after she slaved away in the kitchen for you!?"

Kiba rolled his eyes. _Slaved away,_ he thought. _She probably just heated up some leftover steak._ "I have plans-" Kiba was interrupted be Akamaru's barking.

**Kiba has a date!** Akamaru barked, his tail wagging.

"Akamaru!" Kiba exclaimed, his face flushing a light shade a pink.

Tsume stood there with a puzzled look on her face. "...Wha?" She then looked at Kiba, and noticed that he wasn't in his usual outfit, and didn't have his forehead protector on...instead he looked...

...Clean.

Tsume then burst out laughing. "You have a date?"

"H-hey! What's so funny about that?" Kiba shouted, clenching his fists.

"Hahah!" Tsume continued to laugh.

**It's true. He's going out with a girl named Tenten tonight. He's going to pick her up at 7. **Akamaru informed the laughing Inuzuka.

Tsume's laughter faded. "Hahahh...Wait, you're serious?"

Kiba looked away, embarrassed. "Yeah, Ma..." He shot a glare at Akamaru. Kiba had hoped that he could just sneak out of the house without anyone really caring or finding out where he was going, but nothing was ever really that simple, was it?

Tsume stood there in shock once more. "Woah, wait, you have a date tonight and you didn't tell me about it!?" Tsume then pulled another wooden spoon out of her apron and threw it at Kiba, who this time dodged it. "You tell me everything right now! Who is this girl?! What's she like!? Is she pretty!? She's not one of those girls I heard about that frequent that red light district is she!?"

"Ma!"

**Her name's Tenten. She's a kunoichi that specializes in weapons. She's very nice and doesn't frequent the red light district that we know of. **Akamaru answered Tsume's questions.

"Akamaru! Shut your mouth right now!" Kiba snapped.

"How come I've never heard about or met this girl, Kiba?"

Tsume continued to pester Kiba with questions about Tenten and their date, all which Kiba tried to ignore and Akamaru answered. Kiba glanced up at the wall at his clock. It read 6:25. Shit, he was almost out of time.

"Ma! Can you just leave me alone now! I need to get ready!"

"Get ready! You're already dressed and you smell like a baby's ass! How much more ready could you get!" Tsume laughed.

Kiba's brow twitched in annoyance. "Just leave!"

"Oh! Here's an idea! So that my delicious masterpiece of a dinner doesn't go to waste, why don't you bring her over here for your date!"

"HELL NO!" Kiba cringed at the idea.

Tsume was insulted. "'Hell no'? What do you mean 'HELL NO'? Are you embarrassed of your mother!? Huh?! I'll show you embarrassed! How about I follow you on this date of yours! HUH!? Then you'll have something to be embarrassed about!"

"DON'T YOU DARE!"

The arguing continued until around 6:45. Kiba managed to grab his jacket and get away from his crazy mother, escaping through the window with Akamaru, avoiding the various spoons that came flying his way.

Once far enough away from home, the two stopped, panting.

Kiba scratched the back of his head, annoyed. "Man...you don't really think she'll follow me...right?"

Akamaru shook his head. **No, I don't think she's that crazy. Besides, if she did that her 'hard cooked meal' would go to waste. **

"True." Kiba caught his breath. He turned to his pal, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. "Well, how do I look?"

**Dateable.** Akamaru replied, his tail wagging.

Kiba smiled. "Good." He looked up at the sky. The sun was barely starting to set. The weather was really nice at the time of day, not too hot and not too cool. Perfect weather.

Kiba looked down at Akamaru. "You gonna be okay tonight?"

Akamaru gave him his best puppy grin. **Yep! You're not the only one with a "date" tonight.**

Kiba smirked. "Be careful, buddy."

**You too. Good luck, Kiba. **Akamaru barked, and with that, ran away from his owner, leaving Kiba alone in the street.

He looked back up at the sky, pulled on his leather jacket, and sighed. "Here goes nothing."

-x-

It was 6:45, and Ino was finally done with Tenten. Ugh, Tenten wasn't sure if she could handle anymore "boy advice" and boy stories from Ino. Tenten felt stiff from having to sit in the same place for so long while Ino did her hair and make up.

Ino stepped back, and eyed Tenten up and down, a smile on her face. "Done!" She then grabbed Tenten by the arm and dragged her to the bathroom.

Tenten gasped when she saw herself in the mirror.

Her hair was done up in two slightly messy buns with loose strands that hung by her ears. She wasn't wearing too much make up, just some black liner, mascara, some light blush, and a light pink lip gloss. The light green dress stood out against her tan skin, and from what Tenten could see, the dress hugged her in all the right places.

Tenten stared at herself in awe. Was she really that...beautiful? No...it was just the make up. The make up made up an illusion, a very tricky illusion. A tricky illusion that Kiba would hopefully see.

"Am I good or what?" Ino's voice broke Tenten of her thoughts. Tenten turned and looked at Ino.

"Thank you so much." she said gratefully. Tenten was truly grateful. It had been a long process, but now here she was. She was...beautiful...right?

"Well, I'm going to go! Don't wanna be here in case you and dog boy don't make it through the front door, if ya know what I mean!" Ino winked, and Tenten felt her stomach do another flip. "BUT, you better call me and tell me EVERYTHING tomorrow! And I mean EVERYTHING!"

Tenten lead Ino to the door, and said good-bye. Tenten closed the door. The time was 6:52. Kiba was going to be there soon.

Tenten made her way back to the bathroom, and looked at herself once more. She never felt more nervous that she did at the moment. What if Kiba looked at her and regretted his decision to ask her out, and all of Ino's efforts went to waste? What if the date was lousy? What if he thought she was boring? What if he thought the date was a waste of time and effort? These thought plagued her mind the entire time Ino was fixing her up.

Tenten stared herself in the eye, and a thought came to her.

What if it went well...?

What if the date went well, and the two became friends...and then...became...

Tenten shook her head. It was stupid to get her hopes up like that. She reached up and fluffed her bangs a bit, sighing. She put on her best smile, but she knew the smile was fake...she was just hoping Kiba wouldn't know.

-x-

_There's her door once again._ Kiba thought. There he was again for the second time that day on her porch, facing her door. This time he wasn't here to give her a sack of weapons and go through with a plan he thought he knew the outcome to.

Instead, he was here because that plan took a different turn, and he was here to go through with it. He was here for his first date, and he was determined to make it good, not only for Tenten's sake, but for Hinata's sake as well.

Kiba took a deep breath, rose his fist, and knocked on the door.

**-x-x-x-**

**Ta-dah! Okay, so they didn't go on their date in this chapter, but next chapter they will for sure! I just wanted this chapter to explain what pages Kiba and Tenten are on. Kiba is going through with this because he feels bad for Tenten and for Hinata, and Tenten wants something good to happen to her so desperately while thoughts of Neji poke their way into her head. How do you think the date will go? What will they do on said date? Review and tell me what'cha think! ;D**

**Thanks for reading!**

**See ya next time!**


	8. New-Found Thoughts and Determination

**Hey guys! Ah, finally the chapter you guys have waited for! I just want to thank you guys for taking time out of your day to read and review my stories. It really means a lot to me, and makes me want to continue writing!**

**Enjoy!**

**-x-x-x-**

Tenten wished she had a prettier smile. She continued to look at herself in the mirror, practicing different smiles, and even tried giggling a bit, just in case Kiba made a not-so-funny joke and expected her to laugh.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"Eek!" Tenten practically jumped out of her skin at the sound of knocking at the front door. Her heart began to frantically pound in her chest, and her stomach started to twist. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, attempting to calm herself. She didn't want to appear as a nervous wreck, and continued taking deep breaths. She then opened her eyes, and a look of determination made its way on to her face. She could do this, _she could do this_.

"Better not keep him waiting," she mumbled, leaving the bathroom and making her way down stairs. She grabbing a small gray handbag that was about the size of a wallet. Ino had left it for her to take. It was filled with lip gloss and other small containers of cosmetics, along with some money, in case "he's stupid and 'forgets' his wallet and asks you to pay like a class-A asshole," as Ino put it.

The bag in hand, she stood in front of the door, took yet another deep breath and forced a smile to her lips, and opened the door.

There stood Kiba, and, in all honesty, she was a bit taken back about his appearance. While he had on his usual leather jacket, it was unzipped to reveal a black button down shirt, and he was wearing a nice pair of black pants. He also wasn't wearing his forehead protector, letting his brown locks fall around his forehead and face naturally. He looked...nice.

When she had opened the door, Kiba has his hands in his pockets, and looked as though she had startled him by opening the door. Tenten was sure she wasn't any better, since she was just looking his up and down like a gawking weirdo. She saw Kiba blink rapidly a few times before a smile pulled at his lips, revealing a pair of fangs.

-x-

"Hey." Kiba said, unable to think of anything more intelligent to say. To be honest, he was a bit surprised and extremely nervous. He didn't think she would look this...nice.

The Tenten that stood before him was much different in appearance than the once that he was with that morning. Her hair was pulled up into two messy styled buns without her usual forehead protector and she didn't seem to have dark circles or puffy eyes. She was dressed in a silky green Chinese-type of dress. When she had opened the door, a wave of something nice his nose. It was a clean sent, fresh, with a hint of something floral. He liked it. He always hated it when women over did the perfume; it always made him sneeze a lot and then his nose would be sore.

Kiba continued to let himself smile at her and she averted her eyes a bit. "H-hey." she replied. They stood there for a few seconds.

Uh-oh. Kiba could feel the awkwardness from the morning creeping its way back into the situation. Kiba really didn't want to deal with awkwardness for the night, but it really couldn't be helped. After all, this was their first time really talking to each other for longer than a minute or two, and the whole "date" thing wasn't much help. At that moment, he wished he had dragged Akamaru along with him just so that he could give him ideas and call hom out on anything he did wrong.

Kiba scratched the back of his head, and let out a small nervous chuckle, which Tenten returned with a just as nervous giggle.

Was there something specific he was supposed to say? Or was he supposed to wait for her to say something? Suddenly he wished that he had asked another human being for advice and not Akamaru, who only told him things that he heard on the streets when he "got around." That advice wasn't much help, anyway. He was pretty sure that talking down to Tenten to assert his alpha male dominance wasn't the best idea, so he pushed his pal's advice out of his head.

But he couldn't just stand there like an idiot, either. He found his eyes wandering from her face, down the green silk, and back up to meet her gaze. "You look nice." Yes, compliments are good! Girls liked it when people told them good things about themselves.

Tenten's eyes slightly widened in surprise, but then Kiba saw a smile tug at her lips and a faint blush appear across her nose. She looked away from him, and replied, "O-oh, thank you. You look nice, too."

Kiba felt something flutter within his stomach at the compliment, and for some reason he couldn't look her in the eye. "T-thanks." ...Strange.

Once again, the two stood in silence.

Kiba wasn't planning on spending the night on her porch, so he crossed his arms, still not looking at her, asked, "S-so, uh, are you ready? Need to grab anything, or...?" God, what was with this stutter...?

"Oh, yes, I'm ready when you are!" Tenten replied, lightly scratching at her bandages that she still had on.

"Well, I'm totally ready, so..." Kiba still wasn't really sure what he should be saying, and he was glad that he had managed to say that without stumbling over his words, but from the way she smiled and gave a light nod before closing and locking her door, he couldn't have done to bad.

Then again, the night was still young...

-x-

He said she looked nice. The thought of his words repeated in her head as she quickly locked the door, and turned back towards Kiba. She was having trouble looking at his face. She felt that if he looked into her eyes he would see what a nervous wreck she was and think she was strange. She didn't want to come off as weird, or desperate, or dull, or ugly, or...

"Ready?"

"Yeah." Tenten could feel her heart fluttering. This was it. This was really happening. She was going on a date. She kept telling herself that this was a good thing, but was trying not to get her hopes up too high just in case it ended in disaster.

The two stepped off the porch, side by side. Tenten tried not to stand too close to him, since she wasn't sure how he felt about physical contact, and didn't want to brush against him accidentally. The pace which they walked wasn't hurried, but comfortable. She wasn't sure what to make of the silence, though. It wasn't that it was uncomfortable, or anything, but she wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. She remembered that Ino had said something about letting him start the conversation, but what if he didn't? What if he didn't have anything to say, or didn't _want _to say anything? Should she say something?

Ino made it sound so simple: _"Let him start the conversation. Make him want to know all about you, but don't actually give him everything. Leave him some mystery. Remember: the less you give him, the more he will want you and the more he will give you._" Ino's words swam around in her head, and Tenten knew she knew what she was talking about. Ino was practically a genius of dating from all her years of experience, and Tenten didn't know anything. Ino's voice rang in her head once more. "_Tenten, this is important. Don't forget to smile."_

Smile, huh? A small frown pulled at her lips. Ino made it all sound so easy...

Lost in her thoughts, she almost didn't hear Kiba when he spoke up.

"It's a really nice night." Tenten snapped out of her thoughts, and looked over at him. He was looking up at the sky, his hands shoved in his pockets.

He was right. The air around them was warm, and there wasn't a single breeze. She joined his gaze and looked up at the sky. It was now a dark shade of blue, with only a few sparkling specks spread out across the sky. There wasn't a single cloud to cover up with beauty that was the night sky.

"Yeah, it is." Tenten glanced over at Kiba just as he turned his head to look at her. He gave her a toothy grin, and she could make out the points of his fangs. She held his gaze for a few seconds before quickly turning away and looking forward. His smile was so genuine and it made her feel strange.

"As much as I like playing around in the snow, I think I prefer warmth," he said. "It's more comfortable to be outside when it's warm, and I hardly ever have to worry about Akamaru tracking mud all over my room." Kiba let out a small chuckle. That reminded Tenten...

"By the way, how come Akamaru isn't with you?" she asked. She was curious about why he was alone this morning, as well. From what she heard, those two were inseparable.

Kiba looked at her. "Oh, I told him not to come," he shrugged. "I wanted to focus more on this than him, so he would've just been a distraction. That, and the place we're going isn't too fond of pets."

The two were now walking through the streets of town, which were surprisingly not at full as Tenten would have predicted they would be, even for nighttime.

Tenten cocked her head as she stared up at him, slightly shocked. He wanted to focus more on...this? What, the date? Tenten felt her hands start to tremble from nervousness, so she crossed her arms to hide it. Tenten found it hard to believe that he would leave Akamaru, his companion that was always at his side, just so that he could focus on their date, or that he chose to take her some place that didn't take to kindly to pets.

Then she had another thought. "Then, what about this morning...?" she asked.

Kiba raised a brow. "This morning?"

"He wasn't with you this morning, either."

"Oh, yeah," Kiba reached and scratched the back of his head. "I-I just figured this morning was something I should do by myself, y'know."

"Oh." Tenten looked down at her arms. Now she felt nosy.

"It's fine, though. He'll live without me for a night. He's good at keeping himself occupied." Kiba smiled at her.

Why did he keep smiling at her like that? It was making her nervous.

-x-

The weather. Why was that the only topic that kept popping into his head? The conversation was going much better than he had thought, but then it just...died. He was honestly doing his best to avoid anymore awkward silences and anything that might make Tenten uncomfortable.

Normally, Kiba was a very talkative person, from talking to the people he knew best to the people he didn't know at all, and now it was like he had nothing to say. Well, nothing that didn't have to do with the damn weather.

They were almost to the restaurant that Kiba picked out. He had stumbled across it while on his walk earlier with Akamaru. Apparently, it was fairly new, and had a variety of great food, according to the various housewives he asked around the area. It was a bit pricey, but that didn't really bother him. He had plenty of money saved up from the various missions he had been on in the past.

They passed by Ichiraku's, and out of the corner of his eye he noticed Tenten start to slow slightly, as though preparing to stop when prompted to. She turned and looked at him, and he could see a slight hint of confusion in her eyes. He turned his head to properly look at her.

"Something wrong?" he asked. Her eyes wander back at Ichiraku's.

"O-oh, uhm, nothing." she mumbled before looking down at the ground. He raised a brow. What was that about?

Oh, well. He didn't have time to ponder on it any more, since they were approaching the restaurant. It was fairly big, and he couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed it before. He slowly came to a stop, Tenten stopping with him.

"You hear about this place?" he asked, point to the sign hanging on the restaurant that read _Hanakotoba_ with white-painted flowers surrounding it. Tenten shook her head.

"I haven't."

"It's new, I guess. Found out about it from some gossiping housewives. Thought maybe we should try it," he told her. He hoped she wasn't opposed to the idea, since this was his only idea.

He grinned at her surprised look. He wouldn't be surprised if she was shocked about him taking her here, after all, it looked fancy, even from the outside.

The two made their way to the entrance, and he let her walk in first. He was doing his best to be a gentleman, the way his mother practically beat it into his head, and mind his manners. That also meant he couldn't stuff his face like he was used to doing with Akamaru. Man...

When they entered, they were greeted short, older waitress in a kimono who guided them to a table. There were a few other people, but it wasn't too packed. There were several floral designs along the walls, along with multiple menus and specials. On each of the tables was a small candle red in color and small petals surrounding it on top of white table clothes. It was lit well, but not fully, giving it a completely different atmosphere than most places.

Honestly, Kiba was kind of overwhelmed at how differently it looked at night. He had peeked in during the day, but it was much brighter and louder. Must be something about nighttime. It made it feel much more...romantic. That made Kiba nervous as he and Tenten sat themselves, and the waitress told them of their specials before handing them menus.

The air around them had a strange vibe, and the floral scent of the place only made his heart beat faster.

"T-this, ehm," Tenten started. Kiba waited, curious as to what her opinion was on this place. Was it too romantic? Was she just as overwhelmed as him? Oh, God, what if this whole thing was making her uncomfortable and she wanted to leave?

These questions came to a halt when she spoke once more. "Uh, this is really nice...Uhm," Tenten gazed back down at the menu. "Uh, i-is this okay?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, curiously.

"I-uhm...it's just that...this place is _really_ nice, and I-I don't want you to spend so much-"

"Tenten," he cut her off. He smiled, and winked at her, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "It's fine. I wouldn't have brought you here if I couldn't afford it, or if I didn't want to. So, get what'cha want." He was trying to reassure her, since she now looked anxious. He didn't care, really. He just wanted to have a nice time, and things seemed to be going well so far...hopefully.

-x-

Tenten froze. Did he just wink at her...? What the hell did that mean? Was he flirting with her? Teasing her? Or was he mocking her? No, why would he mock her? ...Then again, he could probably tell what a mess she was from the moment they stepped foot into this place. Just the atmosphere made her heart flutter and her cheeks flush. This place was way too gorgeous and romantic for her. She didn't deserve something like this!

Just looking at the beautiful interior design took her breath away. And the tables and their candles were such a mood-setter...but it was all only getting her hopes up. She couldn't get her hopes up...she couldn't...

She glanced over the menu. The dishes all looked delicious...and expensive. Even though Kiba told her she could get whatever she wanted, she still didn't feel comfortable with ordering something so exorbitant.

...But, even so...

She couldn't help but feel...feel exhilarated. She was doing her best to hide it, and the mixture of her nerves was most likely doing the job. This place was beautiful, and it smelled enticing, the mixtures of flowers and the different dishes being served. The lights were slightly dimmed, and...she was here with a boy.

She glanced up from her menu at Kiba. He was studying the menu, as well, deciding what he wanted. This was most likely the best chance to fully look at him.

His dark hair was messy, but in a good way. Rather than being styled, it fell naturally over his forehead and ears, and the texture looked soft enough that if she ran her fingers through, they would glide through the thick locks with no trouble. His dark eyes darted back and forth as he looked over his various options, and she could see the resemblance they had to that of a wolf. His nose was long and strong, also similar to a wolf's snout. The red markings on his cheeks stood out against his smooth sun-kissed skin, and his lips were full and soft looking rather than dry and cracked. He had a strong jaw line, and a rather thick neck. Her eyes wandered over his broad shoulders, and down to his chest where his button-down shirt lay against his skin.

She looked over his features again, and then once more after that. Okay, she was practically gawking at him...Her heart was going wild now, and she tried her best to study the menu. Sure, she had looked at him and knew what he looked like...but she hadn't _looked_ at him, studied the detailed features of him. He...he was...

Tenten glanced up at him once more.

He was incredibly handsome.

How did she not notice that when he came knocking at her door this morning?

Kiba closed his menu, causing Tenten to jump a bit and look anywhere but at him, afraid of getting caught admiring him.

"What are you getting?" he asked, grinning. Oh...his smile was...nice...

Tenten blinked rapidly, turning her head towards the menu. She still hadn't decided what she wanted...since she was being creepy and ogling him. Truthfully, she should be ashamed.

"I-uh, don't know yet..." she mumbled. Maybe she should try to focus on ordering for the time being.

-x-

"It's fine, take your time." Kiba told her. He could sense the tension surrounding Tenten, and he wasn't sure if he was the one causing it, or if this was how Tenten reacted to situations like this. But, from what he had heard about her from Hinata and saw himself, she was a confident, out-spoken woman. Right now, she was a nervous wreck, and he had a feeling that he was causing it. He was guessing because she had been staring at him while he was deciding on his order.

He didn't know what to make of it, but he had felt her gaze on him, and had merely glanced up at her. She seemed to be studying him, and it made him feel a bit self conscious. He wasn't used to being examined in such a way. He didn't call her on it, though, since he didn't want to embarrass her.

Now her eyes frantically looked over the list of different dishes in front of her. Kiba crossed his arms, and rested them on the table, cocking his head as he looked at her. He noticed how the light color of her dress stood out against her lightly tan skin, and his eyes traced the floral pattern, thinking that she chose the perfect dress to wear to a place like this. Green complemented her in many ways, he thought. He glanced over her concentrated face. Her eyes were a deep shade of brown that hid an array of emotions that Kiba found to be fascinating. He focused on her nose, and found that specks of freckles were spread across, and he tried counting them. He also noticed that her cheeks seemed to be stained a light pink, likely caused by embarrassment and nerves. The color in her face gave off a feeling of warmth that reminded him of an evening sunshine. Her lips were a pretty shade of light rose, and slightly parted in concentration.

Kiba caught himself staring, and glanced to the side at an empty table next to them, suddenly feeling much warmer than before. He didn't understand why he felt strange for just looking at her. It was rude to stare, yes, he knew that...but should he really feel bad. Why shouldn't he look at her?

_There's nothing wrong with it..._ he thought, his gaze focusing once again on her. _I mean, why shouldn't I look at her...? She's beautiful._

Kiba's heart skipped at beat, eyes widening a bit in surprise. He thought she was beautiful...? His eyes traveled along her features once more, and that was more than enough to confirm it. He thought she was beautiful.

"U-uhm?" Kiba snapped out of his thoughts, and realized that Tenten was looking at him with a puzzling expression. "Is something wrong?" Tenten asked him.

Kiba blinked a few times, before letting out a nervous laugh. "Heh, no, nothing's wrong. I'm fine, I was just looking at you, is all."

What the hell? Kiba immediately regretted letting those words leave his lips. Now he probably looked like a creeper.

"H-huh? Is there something on my face o-or-"

"No! No! I was admiring you! There's nothing on your face." Kiba smiled, panicking on the inside. What was he saying? Talk about being blunt...

"Huh?" Tenten's face was almost as red as a the candle that burned in between them. Shit, did he say something wrong?

Kiba thought for a moment. They weren't going to move forward with this date if things kept going like this. He shouldn't be tip toeing around any little thing that he thought might upset of embarrass her. Honestly, what was wrong with telling someone you were admiring them? It's not like he was being creepy about it...right? He hoped he didn't sound creepy.

Maybe he was over thinking this, and not giving himself enough credit. Tenten wasn't doing anything wrong; she's been great so far...and he was looking forward to the rest of the night. He remembered what he told Akamaru back in town about how he was going to make this date great for both of them. He remembered everything Hinata told him about Tenten being sad and wanting to be noticed, and remembered this morning. Something inside of him wanted to make her feel good about herself, and make her smile. He didn't want her to go home thinking that this whole thing was a waste of time. They weren't going to spend the night giving awkward glances and talking about the weather. No, it was going to be better than that.

With a new-found confidence and determination swelling within him, he smiled at her. "Yeah, I was just thinking how pretty you look in that dress."

-x-

W-wha-?

Was he...serious?

He couldn't be serious...right?

He...he thought...she looked pretty?

Pretty...

Tenten couldn't look at him. She closed her menu, setting it aside. What was she supposed to say to that? The standard answer for such a compliment would be a polite thank you, but she couldn't find her words. It was like they were all stuck in her throat, suffocating her.

God, she looked pathetic.

"There's no need to be embarrassed."

Huh?

She looked up at Kiba, who was flashing her a toothy grin. "You look great, and I just thought you should know it."

Why was he saying these things? Why was he being so nice to her? Why was she here? Why did he pick _her_?

There was something in his eye, though. It was...genuine. Did...he really mean it? Did he really think she...

"I-I...don't know what to say." Tenten said truthfully. She didn't know what to say...no one had ever told her something like that out of the blue. Sure, Hinata had told her she was pretty, but that was out of pity for her...this was different. Something in the deepest pit of her gut told her that he was being honest. He thought she was pretty. He thought she was pretty..._He_ thought _she_ was pretty.

"Say thank you." Kiba said, his voice warm, the smile never leaving his lips.

Tenten searched his eyes. He...He really wasn't mocking her, or taking pity on her. He meant it. His eyes told her that. He was looking at her with such genuine admiration, and it made her heart beat rapidly.

For the first time in a long time, a smile broke out on her face. A true smile. Not one of the smiles that she practiced in the mirror earlier...but a real smile.

"Thank you, Kiba."

Kiba grinned. "You're welcome, Tenten."

**-x-x-x-**

**Sorry to cut it right in the middle of the date, but I think this is a good place to leave you hanging. :D Anyway, this took a while to write because I really wanted to try and show the true emotions between these two. I like how this chapter turned out, and I promise that the next chapter will be out soon! Review and tell me what'cha thought of the chapter! **

**Thanks for reading! See ya next time!**


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